A gift of biscuits

Ingredients

• 5 egg whites (150 g)egg whites
• 2 cups (250 g) + 1 tablespoonicing sugar
• 3⅓ cups (265 g)desiccated coconut
• 2¼ cups (270 g)chopped almonds
• 3 cups (360 g)chopped walnuts
• 1 cup (220 g) + 1 tablespoonbutter
• ½ cup (110 g) + 2 teaspoonsbrown sugar
• 1¾ cups (250 g) + 1 teaspoonplain flour
• ½ cup (60 g) + 2 tablespoonscocoa powder
• ½ cup (100 g)granulated sugar
• 1¾ cups (375 g) + 2 tablespoonsbutter
• 1 cup (200 g)sugar
• 2 egg yolks (40 g)egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml)vanilla extract
• ½ cup (150 g) + 2 tablespoonspeanut butter
• 4 cups (550 g)plain flour
• ½ cup (60 g)chopped unsalted peanuts
• 2½ cups (540 g)clarified butter
• 3 cups (350 g)icing sugar
• 5 cups (700 g)plain flour
• To tasteicing sugar
• ¾ cup (375 g) + 2 tablespoonsbutter
• 1 cup (200 g)sugar
• 2 egg yolks (40 g)egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml)vanilla extract
• 3½ cups (500 g) + 1 tablespoonplain flour
• 1 batchvanilla biscuit dough
• 1 tablespoon (8 g)ground cinnamon
• ½ cup (100 g)sugar
• 2 egg whites (60 g)egg whites
• ⅓ cup (80 ml)lemon or orange juice
• 7½ cups (900 g)icing sugar
• 1 batchvanilla biscuit dough
• 2 teaspoons (4 g)lemon or orange zest
• 1 batchvanilla biscuit dough
• ⅔ cup (110 g) + 1 tablespoonicing sugar
• ¾ cup (225 g)jelly or rose-petal jam

Instructions

1. 1

   Whisk the whites

   Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, adding the icing sugar in three batches.

2. 2

   Fold in nuts

   Gently fold in the desiccated coconut, chopped almonds and chopped walnuts.

3. 3

   Bake coconut biscuits

   Drop spoonfuls of mixture onto baking trays, leaving a little space between them. Bake at 160°C for 20 minutes, or until the biscuits lift easily from the tray but have not browned.

4. 4

   Make chocolate dough

   Cream the butter with the brown sugar. Combine the flour and cocoa, then fold them into the butter mixture until a dough forms.

5. 5

   Chill the dough

   Shape the dough into a log, wrap it in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.

6. 6

   Slice and bake

   Roll the log in the granulated sugar and cut it into 1 cm-thick discs. Bake at 160°C for 15 minutes, or until the biscuits lift easily from the tray but have not browned.

7. 7

   Mix peanut dough

   Cream the butter with the sugar. Add the egg yolks, vanilla extract and peanut butter, mixing until smooth. Stir in the flour and chopped peanuts until a dough forms.

8. 8

   Chill and shape

   Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for 3 hours. Shape it into small balls and place them on baking trays.

9. 9

   Bake peanut biscuits

   Bake at 160°C for 20 minutes, or until the biscuits lift easily from the tray but have not browned.

10. 10

    Make butter dough

    Cream the butter and icing sugar until pale and smooth. Add the flour and mix again to make a dough.

11. 11

    Bake and dust

    Shape the dough into balls and place them on baking trays. Bake at 160°C for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and generously dust with icing sugar while hot; leave to cool before lifting them from the tray.

12. 12

    Prepare vanilla dough

    Cream the butter and sugar until pale and smooth. Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract, beating until incorporated. Add the flour and mix just until a dough forms, without overworking it. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 3 hours.

13. 13

    Roll and bake

    Roll the dough on a floured surface to 5 mm thick and cut out the desired shapes. Bake at 160°C for 15 minutes, or until the biscuits lift easily from the tray but have not browned.

14. 14

    Add cinnamon dough

    Make the vanilla biscuit dough, adding 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon with the egg yolks. Shape it into a log, wrap it in cling film and refrigerate.

15. 15

    Slice cinnamon biscuits

    Mix the sugar with the remaining ground cinnamon and roll the dough log in it. Cut it into 1 cm-thick discs and bake as for the vanilla biscuits.

16. 16

    Mix the icing

    Combine the egg whites with the lemon or orange juice. Sift in the icing sugar gradually and mix to an even consistency; set aside.

17. 17

    Add citrus zest

    Make the vanilla biscuit dough, adding the lemon or orange zest with the egg yolks.

18. 18

    Bake citrus biscuits

    Follow the same method as for the vanilla biscuits.

19. 19

    Ice the biscuits

    Ice the cooled biscuits and leave them to dry overnight.

20. 20

    Cut jam biscuits

    Roll out the chilled vanilla dough and cut it with a round biscuit cutter. Cut a small circle from the centre of half the biscuits.

21. 21

    Fill and assemble

    Bake the biscuits. As soon as they are cooked, dust the biscuits with holes generously with icing sugar. Spread the remaining discs with jelly or rose-petal jam and sandwich them with the dusted discs.

What are assorted gift biscuits?

This is a collection of different small biscuits intended to be shared or given as a homemade gift. The recipes draw on familiar European-style biscuit traditions, including nut meringues, shortbread-like doughs, spiced slices and jam-filled sandwich biscuits.

The assortment works by using several doughs and finishes for contrast: crisp nuts and coconut, cocoa, peanut, vanilla, cinnamon and citrus icing. The instructions group the work by biscuit type, so prepare trays and keep each dough clearly labelled as you go.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 35000 calories, 500g protein, 4400g carbs, 1800g fat.

The flour, sugar and jam supply most of the carbohydrate, while butter, clarified butter, nuts and peanut butter contribute much of the fat; the eggs and nuts also provide protein. Since this recipe lists a large assortment but gives one serving, the estimate treats the entire listed batch as that serving; for a lighter plate, choose a small selection and add fruit.

The nut and coconut biscuits

Meringue base: Beat the whites to stiff peaks before folding in the icing sugar in batches. This gives the mixture structure to hold the coconut and chopped nuts.

Gentle folding: Fold in the coconut, almonds and walnuts rather than stirring vigorously. Keep the mixture as airy as possible, then space spoonfuls slightly apart on the trays.

Chilling the slice-and-bake doughs

Chocolate log: Chilling the dough for 1 hour firms it enough to coat in sugar and slice neatly. Aim for discs about 1 cm thick so they bake evenly.

Peanut dough: Refrigerate this dough for 3 hours before shaping it into balls. The recipe also chills the vanilla dough for 3 hours, which makes it easier to roll and cut.

Getting the texture right

Pale edges: Several varieties are baked at 160°C until they lift easily from the tray but should not be browned. Check for that release cue rather than waiting for deep colour.

Hot sugar dusting: The butter-and-icing-sugar biscuits are dusted while still hot, then left to cool before lifting. This is different from the iced biscuits, which must be cool before glazing.

Rolling and cutting vanilla biscuits

Even thickness: Roll the chilled dough to 5 mm on a lightly floured surface. A consistent thickness helps the biscuits finish at the same time.

Jam tops: For the sandwich biscuits, cut a small window in half of the rounds. Dust those tops with icing sugar after baking, then spread jam on the plain rounds and assemble.

Icing and finishing

Smooth glaze: Add the sifted icing sugar gradually to the egg-white and citrus mixture, mixing until uniform. The recipe gives no exact icing consistency, so stop once it is smooth and usable for coating.

Drying time: Ice the citrus biscuits only after they have cooled, then leave them to dry overnight. This lets the glaze set before the biscuits are packed.

Planning the baking

Work in batches: The method includes several doughs, oven times and finishes, rather than one single batch. Chill the doughs for their stated times and bake each variety as directed.

Tray space: Use baking trays with enough room for the biscuits to be placed as instructed. If your trays do not fit enough at once, bake successive batches rather than crowding them.

Serving the assortment

A mixed plate: Arrange the pale nut biscuits alongside the darker chocolate and peanut varieties, with iced and jam-filled biscuits as decorative pieces. The different shapes and finishes make the selection feel varied without extra decoration.

With a drink: Serve the biscuits with tea or coffee, or offer them as a small sweet selection after a meal. For a more balanced snack, pair one or two biscuits with fruit or plain yoghurt.

Recipe notes & tips

• Use separate, labelled trays or sheets of baking paper to keep the different varieties organised.
• Bring chilled dough out only when you are ready to shape or roll it.
• Cut the slice-and-bake logs with a sharp knife for cleaner 1 cm discs.
• Check the biscuits at the lower end of the stated baking time, since they are meant to stay pale.
• Let the iced biscuits dry overnight before packing them.
• Allow hot biscuits to cool as instructed before trying to lift or sandwich them.

Variations

• Citrus choice: Use either lemon or orange juice and zest for the glazed biscuits.
• Jam choice: Fill the sandwich biscuits with jelly or rose-petal jam.
• Nut mix: Keep the listed almonds and walnuts in the coconut biscuits for a varied nut texture.
• Cinnamon finish: Roll the cinnamon dough log in the sugar-and-cinnamon mixture before slicing.
• Biscuit shapes: Cut the vanilla dough into the shapes you prefer, as the method allows.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Overmixing the meringue: Fold in the coconut and nuts gently to retain the beaten whites' volume.
• Skipping the chill: Refrigerate the dough for the stated time so logs slice and vanilla dough rolls more readily.
• Browning the biscuits: Use the lift-from-the-tray cue and remove them while they are still pale.
• Dusting after cooling: Apply icing sugar to the butter biscuits while they are hot, as directed.
• Icing warm biscuits: Let the citrus biscuits cool before glazing so the icing can set.
• Filling too soon: Dust and fill the jam sandwiches only after baking the biscuits.

How to store

Once completely cool and dry, keep the biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature; store varieties with icing separately from those that may mark them. They are best eaten within about a week. Refresh plain biscuits briefly in a low oven if desired, but do not reheat iced or jam-filled ones.

Frequently asked questions