Brandy snaps

By: Margaret Fulton
From: Baking
Makes: 12
Photographer: Vanessa Levis

These crisp, lacy rolled wafers are elegant for afternoon tea or to accompany a fruit dessert. They have been made for centuries in Britain, where they were often given as gifts by vendors at medieval fairs. Later they became an afternoon tea treat, filled with whipped cream.

Part of their appeal is the various pretty shapes – tubes, curls or baskets – that they can be formed into, and which can then be filled with cream and fruits, or a mousse mixture.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
60g	butter
60g	lightly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup	golden syrup
75g	plain flour
1 teaspoon	ground ginger
	half a lemon, grated rind

To serve

Quantity	Ingredient
1 cup	cream
1 tablespoon	brandy, (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line two baking trays with baking paper. Grease the round handles of two wooden spoons (the larger the better).
Heat the butter, brown sugar and golden syrup together in a saucepan until the butter melts. Cool, then add the flour sifted with the ginger. Stir in the lemon rind.
Drop teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto a prepared baking tray, spacing them at least 15 cm apart and allowing only two or three biscuits per tray. Bake one tray at a time for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven, allow to set for a few seconds, then ease the biscuits off the tray with a palette knife and wrap loosely round the handle of a wooden spoon, lacy side (the upper side) out. When crisp, remove from spoon. As soon as they are completely cold, store in an airtight container unless using immediately.
To serve, whip the cream, fold in the brandy and pipe into both ends of each rolled biscuit. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve.

Variation

Brandy snap baskets

Remove the biscuits from the oven, allow to set for a few seconds, then drape over the upturned bottoms of greased muffin tins or glasses, pressing lightly with a dry cloth. When cool and crisp, remove and store in an airtight container. Fill baskets with ice-cream, sorbet or berries to serve.

Note

There’s a little skill involved in timing the baking, so that the biscuits don’t stick to the trays, and in rolling them gently and quickly to shape them. They must be kept in an airtight container once cooled. If filling them, do so close to serving time.

Tags:: baking; bakery; margaret; fulton

Brandy snaps

Ingredients

To serve

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