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A few years ago I was obsessed with English teas. You see, my daughters and I hosted a Traditional English Tea Bridal Shower for our youngest daughter, and in our quest to find recipes, we baked and tasted lots of tea cookies–including Black Currant Tea Biscuits. I love these little biscuit cookies, not too sweet and full of dried black currants. Perfect to go with a cup of hot tea.
(Post modified on 8/24/23.)
One cookie we came across time and again, was for Black Currant Tea Biscuits, often referred to as Crawfords Girabaldi Biscuits. Now, seeing as how we were going to the trouble of hosting an authentic English Tea, I took it upon myself to try making these biscuits from scratch. Only I quickly realized that dried black currants were a bit hard to find here in the United States!
It was easy enough to find dried Zanti Currants. You can find these in abundance online and in the grocery store. However, a Zanti currant is very similar to a raisin, only smaller–and NOT what I wanted. Black Currants, on the other hand, are a small tart berry. I searched and searched and finally found dried black currants at Northwest Wild Foods. They were a bit pricey, but in my quest to be authentic, I bit the bullet and ordered some!
Turns out Black Currants are tangy in flavor–I actually love their taste! They are also quite high in vitamin C and potassium and have many other health benefits such as fighting against cardiovascular disease, aging, joint inflammation, eyestrain (and spread of glaucoma), urinary infections, and even cancer.
So, anyway- I love black currants, and I love this English tea biscuit recipe.
More Tea Cookies to Enjoy
- Chocolate-Coated Raspberry Spritz Cookies
- Linzer Cookies with Strawberry Preserves
- Sliced Pecan Thyme Shortbread
- Spiced Speculaas Cookies
Ingredients for Black Currant Tea Biscuits
(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)
- all-purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- baking powder
- salt
- butter, cold
- whole milk
- large egg
- dried black currants (not raisins)
Instructions for Making This Recipe
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt.
Add pieces of butter to bowl, and rub into flour with fingers or mix with a blending fork, until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
In a glass measuring cup, whisk together the whole milk and large egg.
Reserve 2 tablespoons of milk mixture to use as egg wash for the top of the biscuits later.
Add remaining milk mixture to flour, mixing in to make a dough.
Roll Out the Biscuits
Tear off a piece of parchment paper (12×15″) and lightly flour. Roll dough into a 12×10″ rectangle.
Sprinkle black currants evenly over one half of the dough. Place the other half of the dough onto the top of the dried fruit.
With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to a 15×8″ rectangle. It will resemble the thickness of a pie crust.
Place the dough that is on the parchment paper onto a large baking sheet. Using a fork or roller docker or a fork, poke holes in the dough.
With a pastry wheel, cut the dough in half the long way and then into 1″ strips to form biscuits. Do not separate. Apply egg wash over dough.
Bake biscuits in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
Cool on wire racks and break apart. Makes 22-24 tea biscuits. Serve with your favorite cuppa tea.
See more Tea Party Ideas Here. Browse Cookies Here.
Black Currant Tea Biscuits
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter cold
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 large egg beaten
- 3/4 cups dried black currants not raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Add pieces of butter to bowl, and rub into flour with fingers or mix with a blending fork, until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- In a glass measuring cup, whisk together the whole milk and large egg.Reserve 2 tablespoons of milk mixture to use as egg wash for the top of the biscuits later.Add remaining milk mixture to flour, mixing in to make a dough.
- Tear off a piece of parchment paper (12×15″) and lightly flour. Roll dough into a 12×10″ rectangle. Sprinkle black currants evenly over one half of the dough. Place the other half of the dough onto the top of the dried fruit.
- With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough once more, to a 15×8″ rectangle. It will resemble the thickness of a pie crust.
- Place the dough and parchment paper onto a baking sheet. Using a fork or roller docker, poke holes in the dough.
- Cut the dough with a pastry wheel in half the long way and then into 1″ strips to form biscuits. Do not separate. Apply egg wash over dough.
- Bake biscuits in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on wire racks and break apart. Makes 22-24 tea biscuits.
Notes
