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Hard Biscuits

Submitted by Roselynde on June 19th, 2014
in


 
"Every good cook or one just starting out on their culinary adventure should know how to make a basic biscuit.  One never knows when you might need to defend yourself by lobbing one!"  Roselynde
 
 

Hard Biscuits

About this recipe:

Difficulty: Easy
Comments: Take care when removing the biscuits from the oven - let them cool before moving them to a tray.
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 30-40 minutes
Number of servings: 16 biscuits
Serving suggestions: You'd be better off with digestives or shortbread!

These biscuits refers to the iron hard biscuits that are stored on ships or in saddlebags. They are made from a simple unleavened mixture of flour, water and salt, rolled out thinly and baked slowly until very hard and dry. At the Warhorse Inn we have added milk instead of water to our biscuits, and a little butter, to make them more edible.

If cooked slowly, these biscuits are a challenge for even the healthiest of teeth. The travellers should be advised to softened them in some liquid to be able to eat them. Cooked properly, they are hard not brittle and no good for dunking in tea as they are still rock hard afterwards.

However, in former times, maybe the maggots helped to break them down. As travelling progressed, food would becomes infested with worms, maggots and other creatures.

 

Ingredients

  • 1 lb flour

  • 1/2 pint water

  • 1/2 tablespoon salt

Optional to suit more modern tastes:

  • 2 oz butter (This was not used in the original recipe, but it will makes the biscuits easier to eat. You can leave it out if you wish but the biscuits will be very hard). 

  • Use 1/2 pint milk instead of water.

 

Making and cooking it

  1. Measure out the flour and place in a mixing bowl

  2. Measure out the milk and butter and place in a saucepan

  3. Melt the butter in the milk over a very low heat

  4. Add the sea salt to the flour and mix

  5. Add the milk and butter then the flour and mix until you have a dough, kneading the dough until all the flour is absorbed (it should be a thick, shiny, stiff mix)

  6. Roll the dough out until fairly thin

  7. Cut the biscuit shapes using a cup rim

  8. Place on a baking tray and prick all over to let out any air when cooking

  9. Bake slowly at only a moderate heat  (A moderate heat is 350°C, 177°°F, Gas 4 ) until golden brown (30-40 minutes - the time will depend on thickness of the biscuits). The biscuits should be dry right through or they might go moldy when you take them on long sea voyages.

  10. Turn off the oven and leave to cool. Store in a dry place until needed.

Chronicles this adventure is related to

I Could Eat A Warhorse! Roselynde 11 years 10 months ago
The Book of Seven: Vol. 637 The West And Onward Iaurmenel 11 years 11 months ago