Perkins
Traditional Scottish Perkins biscuits - crisp, oaty, and lightly spiced with mixed spice, ginger and cinnamon, topped with a blanched almond. Easy to make and perfect with a cup of tea.
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Servings: 24 biscuits
EQUIPMENT
INGREDIENTS
- 60 g Block Margarine or Butter (at room temperature)
- 60 g Caster Sugar (Superfine Sugar)
- 100 g
Golden Syrup (Substitutions) - 115 g Plain Flour (All-purpose Flour)
- ½ tsp Bicarbonate of Soda (Baking Soda)
- ½ tsp Ground Ginger
- ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
- ½ Mixed Spice (Pumpkin Spice)
- 100 g Porridge Oats (ie. rolled oat)
- Blanched Almonds
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 180°c (160°c for fan-assisted ovens, Gas Mark 4 or 350°F) and line a couple of baking sheets with grease-proof paper. Set aside.
- In a small pan, melt the margarine/butter, sugar, and golden syrup over low heat until fully combined and the sugar granules have begun to dissolve.
- In a large bowl, sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, cinnamon, and mixed spice. Stir in the oats.
- Pour the melted mixture into the dry ingredients and stir together to create a sticky, paste-like dough.
- Take a heaped teaspoon of the mixture and roll it into a ball, then place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining mixture, leaving space between each ball, as they will spread while baking.
- Place a blanched almond on top of each ball, pressing it down gently to slightly flatten the dough.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the biscuits have spread and turned golden brown. Be careful not to overbake.
- Leave to cool on the baking sheet until cool enough to touch, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
All my recipes are developed using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and millilitres). Cup measurements are available as a conversion but these, unfortunately, won't always be as accurate. For best results, I always recommend baking with a digital scale.
RECIPE NOTES:
- Storage: Once cooled, store your Perkins biscuits in an airtight tin for up to a week. The texture may change over time, which is normal for homemade biscuits.
- Substitutions:
- Golden Syrup: For the best flavour and texture, golden syrup is always preferable. It gives that signature chewy-crisp bite and gentle caramel taste. If you can’t find it where you are, try honey or maple syrup as substitutes - both should work, though they’ll slightly change the flavour.
- Spices: The traditional blend of ginger, cinnamon, and mixed spice gives these biscuits their lovely warmth. If you’re outside the UK and can't get mixed spice, pumpkin spice makes a great substitute - similar in flavour, just a little heavier on the cinnamon, so maybe dial back on that a bit.
- Oats: Stick with porridge oats (ie. rolled oats) rather than jumbo oats. The finer texture helps the biscuits hold together and spread evenly while baking.
- Almond Topping: A single blanched almond on each biscuit is traditional, but optional. You can leave it off or replace it with a raisin, glacé cherry half, or pecan for a different twist.
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