These biscuits (cookies) are nicknamed Jane's biscuits at Ballymaloe House, after a 12-year-old Jane Quinlan - the sister of a good friend of Mrs Allen's daughter Wendy - who first made them in the kitchen on a Sunday afternoon, decades ago. They are delicious and extremely useful. We serve them with morning coffee and afternoon tea, and they are the perfect accompaniment to fruit fools or any other dessert that benefits from a crisp buttery biscuit.
Makes about 24 biscuits depending on size they are cut.
If you have a magimix put all the ingredients for the biscuits in together and mix until they form a soft ball. If making these by hand rub the butter into flour and add sugar. Gather the mixture together and knead well.
On a floured surface roll out the mixture until it is about 5mm thick. Cut shapes and place on a greased baking tray. Gather the remaining mixture, knead together again and roll out to cut more shapes. Repeat until all the mixture has been used up.
Bake in a moderate oven, 180 degrees Celsius or Gas mark 4, until biscuits are pale brown (about 15 minutes).
Remove and cool on a wire rack. We normally sprinkle the cooled biscuits with a little icing sugar and serve. However, if you want to be more festive they can be decorated with a topping of your choice.
For the icing, mix the sugar and water until the icing is free of lumps. Spread a thin layer of icing on each and sprinkle with a decoration of your choice. Allow the icing to set.
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