Currant-ly addicted to these biscuits

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They’re humble, but they get the job done!

We do not have biscuits and cookies in our house as a staple, because we try to keep our pantry healthy  I have no self control. Of all the delicious biscuits in the world – from Tim Tams with all their splendid new flavours to the humble jam drop – the pack of cookies I am most likely to devour in one sitting is the favourite of Grandmas Australia-wide, the Venetian. They’re so light, so yummy, so moreish, that I just cannot help myself. However, Spunky Tech Guy has a bizarre preference for un-iced currant biscuits, and I try to avoid Venetians, which led me to track down one disappointingly dull brand after another. As necessity is indeed the mother of invention, I took it upon myself to adapt several recipes into the only currant biscuit you’ll ever need.

What resulted was a treat so delightful, so crumbly and subtly tasty, that Spunky Tech Guy has been heard complaining in the kitchen, “I don’t know why you make these cookies! Why can’t you make normal boring cookies? This is number six. SIX!”

Okay, so they’re just as addictive as Venetians, although they’re vastly different. Even the kids have had to have their hands swatted away all morning. In fact, Miss 5 got kicked out of the kitchen just so I’d have some dough left to put in the oven. Yes, I let them eat small amounts of raw cookie dough. I am a terrible mother, but I cannot deprive my kids of the simplest pleasures of cooking!

I’ve been making these for a while now, but I ran out of citrus fruit this morning, so I used OJ instead of zest. I also made a rookie mistake and used SR flour instead of plain by accident. These changes lifted the biscuits (literally) in a way I wouldn’t have imagined.

If you’re searching for the perfect companion to a cup of tea, look no further! Depending on how much of the sticky, scrummy dough gets pilfered, the recipe yields around 20.

Ingredients

2 cups self raising flour (plain works just as well, but SR gives it a satisfying dome shape)

150g butter, cubed

1/2 cup caster sugar

1/2 cup currants

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1tbs pulpy orange juice

1 egg, lightly beaten

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Line 2 trays with non stick paper.

2. Sift flour and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles damp sand (I know everyone says breadcrumbs, but I really think it is more sandy).

3. Mix in sugar, chocolate and currants.

4. Combine egg and juice. Add to mixture and stir to combine.

5. Dollop tablespoons of mixture onto trays and bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

6. Try not to eat them all in one day. Ha. Good luck.

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