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
INGREDIENTS
- 60 g Block Margarine or Butter
- 60 g Caster Sugar
- 100 g Golden Syrup (see Golden Syrup note below)
- 115 g Plain Flour
- ½ tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
- ½ tsp Ground Ginger
- ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Mixed Spice
- 100 g Porridge Oats
- Blanched Almonds
EQUIPMENT
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:
Golden Syrup:
Golden syrup is a classic British baking ingredient. If you don’t have any, light corn syrup is the closest substitute, or maple syrup may work well for these biscuits. For more information, including all possible substitutions, where to buy it and how to make your own, see my Golden Syrup Ingredient Guide.Substitutions:
- 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 (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.
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.Tried this recipe?
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