Walnut Biscuits
These Walnut Biscuits are buttery, lightly sweet and packed with chopped walnuts for a simple homemade treat. Quick and easy to make with everyday ingredients, they bake to a crisp, golden biscuit that’s perfect with a cup of tea.
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Servings: 15
INGREDIENTS
- 115 g Caster Sugar
- 115 g Block Margarine or Butter (at room temperature)
- 1 Egg Yolk (at room temperature; see Egg Size note below)
- 60 g Walnuts (roughly chopped)
- ¼ tsp Vanilla Extract
- 115 g Self-raising Flour (see Self-raising Flour note below)
- 1 tsp Cornflour
EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 180°c (or 160°c for a fan-assisted oven, Gas Mark 4 or 350°F). Line a couple of sheets with some greaseproof paper. Set aside
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter & sugar, until light and creamy.
- Add the egg yolk, walnuts & vanilla, and mix until combined.
- Gradually add the flour and cornflour to the mixture, a little at a time, mixing until it forms a soft dough.
- Roll a small amount of dough into balls (between a teaspoon-tablespoon is ideal, depending on how big you want your biscuits to be) and place onto your pre-lined baking sheets with a bit of space between each ball. Flatten each ball a little with your fingers.
- Bake in your preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until golden and spread.
- Leave on trays until cool enough to touch, before transferring 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:
Egg Size:
When it comes to eggs, I always buy mixed-weight free-range eggs. Generally speaking, egg size doesn’t make a huge difference in most baking, unless you are using sizes that lean towards the extremes. If you’re unsure which eggs to use, I recommend medium eggs in the UK, which are roughly equivalent to large eggs in the US. That’s what this recipe has been tested with.Self-raising Flour:
Don't have self-raising flour? For this recipe, simply whisk together 115g (¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon) plain flour and 1½ teaspoons baking powder instead. If you bake regularly, you can also make a larger batch to keep in your baking cupboard. For full instructions, cup conversions and answers to common questions, see my Self-raising Flour Ingredient Guide.Substitutions:
- Nuts: If you don't have walnuts, you could use pecans, hazelnuts, pistachios or almonds instead. The flavour will change slightly, but they work well in this style of biscuit.
- Butter or Margarine: Either works well in this recipe, but if you choose to use margarine, make sure it is block margarine, not the soft spreadable kind.
- Cornflour (Corn Starch): If you don't have any cornflour (corn starch), simply add an extra tablespoon of self-raising flour. Cornflour gives the biscuits a slightly snappier texture but can be swapped like-for-like with extra flour.
Storage:
Store your Walnut Biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. The texture will change slightly over time - this is normal.Freezing the Dough:
The biscuit dough can also be frozen. Portion the dough into balls, freeze on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before baking as normal.Tried this recipe?
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