Easter biscuits

At our English conversation group this week, our topic was Easter as it was our last meeting before the break. As usual we started the class with some grammar work, revision of the present simple, then we had a presentation about Easter. We discussed some of the traditions, for example painting eggs, and were shown some lovely ones Jacki and her children had made, and we talked a little about the origins of Easter and why it is so important in Christian cultures.

Then, maybe the best part of the morning… coffee break! We had…

Although Easter biscuits can be found everywhere now they are actually originally a Somerset speciality. They are very simply made, Butter (it has to be butter!) caster sugar, flour and egg yolks, some currants (not sultanas, raisin or other fruit – just currants) and a precise number of drops of cassia oil. The cassia oil is essential to the flavour; it is similar to cinnamon  but only similar, it has its own distinct flavour  Some recipes say used mixed spice but that is just wrong!

Here is the recipe I followed and they turned out beautifully! The references to mother-in-law and husband are from the original post, and are not my mother-in-law or husband!

• 10 oz plain flour
• 7 oz butter
• 5 oz caster sugar (plus extra for sprinkling)
• 2 oz currants
• 2 egg yolks
• 8 drops oil of Cassia

Mix all of the ingredients together adding a little milk if too dry.  Roll out to about  ⅜”/1 cm thick and cut with a large fluted cutter.

Bake at 160˚C (conventional oven) for 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned.  Sprinkle with caster sugar as soon as you remove the biscuits from the oven, then cool on a rack.

Notes

The original recipe said 6 drops of oil of cassia, my mother-in-law has now increased this to 8, but do count the drops carefully as too strong a flavour of cassia ruins the biscuits. Likewise, according to my husband, the biscuits are RUINED if they are cooked for too long.  According to him, they should retain some substance in the middle and not be too biscuity.  He does have some technical description of the degree of resistance to snapping the biscuits should have, but it is a bit too complicated to explain – let’s just say they shouldn’t snap too easily!

http://www.campaignforrealfarming.org/2012/04/bristol-easter-biscuit-recipe/

As the recipe says, the biscuits should be very pale, not brown at all and should not be conventionally crispy like other biscuits. My photo makes them look more golden than they really are, they should be almost white.

I also came across some comments on The Guardian web-site about the traditional biscuits:

• In Somerset, Easter biscuits contain oil of Cassia because, my grandmother tells me, it was used in embalming Christ’s body. No-one I have spoken to from any other part of the country uses or has heard of it. Is this an entirely local tradition and if so, why?
• My mother, who lived in London, used oil of Cassia to flavour Easter biscuits as far back as 1940. I used her recipe until about 1968 when I found it impossible to purchase a further supply of the oil. Last year I located a shop in Salisbury that sells it as one of my aromatic essences, and although they don’t recommend it for “internal consumption” I made my first batch of “real” Easter biscuits again this year. (Daphne Bevan, Longparish, Hants.)
• I come from Bristol and have always used Oil of Cassia in my Easter biscuits – they sell it this time of year in Boots! I now live in Cornwall and no-one has ever heard of it, and I can’t get supplies anywhere unless I drive to Bristol! They taste much spicier with the oil than with just cinnamon. (Cyd Roberts, Penryn, Cornwall, UK)
• My mother was from Yeovil and she always made Easter biscuits using oil of Cassia. If you try to buy it in the Midlands you are just met with a load of blank looks, in short they have never heard of it. I have continued the tradition and everybody loves them, however, I have to buy the Cassia oil on the internet. Incidentally, have you tried Coventry God cakes, another regional recipe that has a story. (Alan Pocock, Coventry, England)
• You have always been able to buy Cassia oil in our chemists at Easter time. However it does say take care not to get in contact with the skin? The smell always reminds me of Easter biscuits and a small bottle lasts for ages. (Sue, Bristol)
• http://www.guardian.co.uk/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-2847,00.html