Crunchy Hobnob Biscuits

and what your favourite biscuits says about you

Hello friends,

I’m writing this weeks newsletter sipping my third hot drink of the day. Slightly unusual for me at this time but I’ll blame it on the frosty temperatures. I’m typically a coffee in the morning kind of person (black Americano please), but once we get to about 3pm, especially on a laptop heavy day, the kettle goes on, I make the switch from coffee to tea and there’s a rummage of the biscuit tin.

I typically have biscuits on deck at all times. It’s rarely anything fancy, (unless its Christmas, in which case the Fortnum and Mason toffolossus biscuits are raring to go.) For day to day snacking, the simpler the better; I lean towards chocolate digestives, malted milks and I’m currently on a roll with chocolate bourbons.

It’s probably a good time to make the clear distinction that biscuits (the British kind) are very, very different to cookies. When I fancy a cookie, I want crispness, but just on the edges. I want the middle giving way to something much softer, a little chewier and almost fudgy, with puddles of chocolate dotted throughout. When it comes to biscuits, in my mind, there’s absolutely no place for softness. I want CRUNCH. And a good snap. They need to have a robustness and sturdiness about them, making them ideal for dunking into tea if you’re that way inclined. (I’m not).

One thing I do find amusingly fascinating is peoples choice of biscuit. Seeing what others are immediately drawn to in the biscuit aisle or what they have on offer in their home tells me plenty. Jammy Dodgers? Young at heart, extrovert. Rich Tea biscuits? A saver not a spender, the organised friend. Custard creams? Easy to get on with, thoughtful, reliable. Chocolate Caramel Digestives? A little chaotic, but in the best way.

Apologies if you’re not from the UK and have no idea what any of these are. Perhaps let me know in the comments what biscuits you love from your side of the world!

Today we’re making homemade hobnobs. A classic oaty biscuit that tastes even better made from scratch. Just make sure you’ve got a giant mug of tea on the side.

Enjoy,

Benjamina x

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CRUNCHY HOBNOB BISCUITS

I went off hobnobs for a really long time. Despite loving anything oaty, it’s no exaggeration when I say its been years since I last bought a packet. I used to eat lots of them when I was younger but I probably overdid it. I’m slowly coming back to them and being able to make my own has made all the difference.

I’ve made them with demerara sugar which makes them texturally very pleasing and bumps up the molasses-y caramel notes. And I find jumbo oats to be a better choice than porridge oats which can get a little sandy. Salt is very necessary here. I mean, it’s always important in baking but it really helps highlight the butteriness in these.

The biscuits are actually very simple to make and don’t require any chilling time. Just mix, roll and bake. I’ll usually dip just half a batch in chocolate and leave the rest plain so everyones happy. Feel free to be lead as you wish.

RECIPE

140g plain flour
100g jumbo oats
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
120g unsalted butter, softened
60g demerara sugar
45g caster sugar
20g golden syrup (or honey)
100g chocolate
10g coconut oil

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 170c fan/180c. Line two baking trays with baking paper

2. Add the flour, oats, bicarbonate of soda and salt to a bowl and mix to combine.

3. In a separate bowl, add the butter and both sugars. Beat together for 2-3 minutes until creamy and lightened in colour. It won’t be completely smooth because of the demerara sugar.

4. Add in the golden syrup and mix to combine,

5. Tip in the dry ingredients and mix well to get a thick dough, making sure there are no patches of flour lurking at the bottom. You can go in with your hands to make sure its well mixed.

6. Roll the dough into 10 balls. It may feel a little drier than most doughs but it should come together when you start rolling. Flatten each one a little with your hands to get a thick disc and then place them on two baking trays, leaving a little space between them. Bake for 16-18 minutes until the edges are nicely browned.

7. They’ll still be soft when they come out of the oven and will harden as they cool.

8. If you want to dip them in chocolate, add the chocolate and coconut oil to a small bowl and melt in short bursts in the microwave. Alternatively place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and let it melt.

9. Let the chocolate cool to room temperature and thicken a little. Dip the base of each cookie in the chocolate and place it biscuits side down on a tray or cooling rack. Let it set completely before serving.