Bourbon biscuits: homemade heaven in a little chocolatey sarnie
Right, so. Enough of this doom and gloom. As self-elected President of Chocolate for Ireland, I prescribe a healthy dose of feel-good… erm… fattening stuff. Here, then, to cheer you all up, is a big fat stack of Bourbons. This is adapted from an old Mrs Beeton recipe so it must be good.
First, then, grease and line a baking sheet, or use the wondrously fantastic non-sticky stuff that is Bake-o-glide. Preheat your oven to gas 3/160, grab your Homer Simpson apron (woo hoo!) and roll up thy sleeves.
You’ll need:
100g butter
100g caster sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
200g plain flour
30g cocoa
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
and for the chocolate creamy stuff:
100g butter
150g icing sugar
2 tbsp cocoa
2 tsp vanilla extract
First, then, beat the hell out of the butter and sugar until it’s lovely and light and fluffy, then beat in the golden syrup (dip the spoon in boiling water first).
In a separate bowl, sieve the flour, cocoa and bicarb together :
and then carefully mix it into the butter and sugar with a fork, and then dive in with your hands. Bring it together into a slightly crumbly dough and roll it out (here’s where the Bake-o-glide comes in, you can roll it directly onto the sheet), pushing the edges straight with a knife, until you’ve got a rough rectangle about 1/2 cm thick.
Now gently cut the rectangle in half right down the middle and put it on your baking tray:
Bung it into the oven for about 15 minutes (it won’t change colour but will just feel firmer to the touch). When you take it out, gently cut each strip into fingers:
Leave them to cool while you make the creamy filling stuff by beating the butter until very soft, then carefully adding the sugar, cocoa and vanilla (watch out for low-level icing sugar clouds here). Beat it until it’s lovely and smooth and then sandwich your little bourbons together generously with the filling.
And yes, I know it’s easier to buy packet ones, but think of the satisfaction of making something better than Mr Tesco. These amounts will make around 20 biscuits (I divided my dough into two batches as my bake-o-glide wasn’t big enough). So that’s 19 for me and one for the dog, then. Result.
Yummmmmy! Will give these a bash on Sunday! Thanks Missus!! X
And okay, no, he didn’t get one, and yes I shared with the menfolk. Generosity personified, moi. x
Ma: Be warned, you’ll eat the whole batch!! And no way? Don’t they melt in the oven?? x
DBM: You’re so right, of course. I never use the boiling water trick – it’s straight in the gob for me too xx
Moon: Oh sorry, not healthy enough for you? Meh. Go eat some broccoli.
Despite your 1800-Food-SOS phone service (ahem!) I really made an arse of the last one but have somehow managed to promise to make another…
Purleeeeeeeeze??? X
Rach: Good old Mrs B eh? (although I’m less fond of her turtle soup recipe: ‘first despatch your turtle’…ewwww!) x
http://englishmum.com/2008/09/08/chocolate-mousse/
Howzat for service (in happy return for the telephone counselling I just received). Mwah xx
Spudness: Ah, and therein lies the reason – my Hubby is a bourbon cream devotee – and he swears they’re as good as the packet version (probably cos they’re bigger)
Manuel: Dunkers by DHL? Could make me a fortune! They’re on their way, of course x
[...] January was a lemon meringue pie and beef stew and dumplings kind of a month. The greenhouse blew away and I felt all growed up after hosting my first family Christmas. February was perfect for chocolate fondants and learning all about secondary fluffage. March was all pink birthday meringue and bourbon biscuits. [...]