These fork biscuits are delicious buttery, tender, easy biscuits to make. This is a Mary Berry recipe, so you know it's a timeless classic. Three simple ingredients and about 30 minutes are all you need for these shortbread biscuits.
So, let's be real. Butter, flour and sugar are shortbread. But because these aren't baked in a tray and cut into rectangles or squares, they're called fork biscuits. They're rolled into cookie balls and flattened ever so gently with a fork make a lovely pattern on the top of the biscuit. And of course, all the ingredients are from Aldi.
Fork Biscuits
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Ingredients needed
- plain flour
- baking powder
- caster sugar
- butter
Optional:
- Milk or dark chocolate for drizzling
A note about the ingredients- this recipe uses a mix of plain flour and baking powder, but you can substitute self-raising flour instead. Regular shortbread uses just plain flour but being that these are rolled into round cookies, we're looking for a slight lift, so we use baking powder.
Step by step directions
- Preheat the oven to 180c or 160c fan oven.
- Place all the ingredients in a bowl. Use an electric hand whisk and mix until the dough looks like rough breadcrumbs.
- Use a tablespoon to scoop up the dough and roll into 16 balls. Place them on a baking tray. Either line the baking tray with baking paper or lightly grease the tray with some butter.
- Place the cookies with about 2 inches space on all sides of them. Gently press a fork into the tops of the biscuits to flatten and leave a fork pattern on the biscuits.
- Bake for about 10-12 minutes. The edges will be very pale golden. Leave them to cool on the baking tray for about 10 minutes before you transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely and drizzle with the chocolate (if you're using). I highly recommend you drizzle at least a few of the cookies with some melted chocolate.
Variations
This dough is so versatile that the variations and possible combinations are endless.
- lemon (add lemon zest to the flour and butter before mixing)
- chocolate chips (mix into the mixed dough)
- dried fruit (cranberries, chopped dried apricots, raisins, sultanas. Stir them into the mixed dough)
Spices are also a perfect way to dress these biscuits up. Add all the spices in with the flour before mixing.
- cinnamon
- mixed spice
- nutmeg
- cardamom (not an Aldi ingredient, but if you have some in the cupboard it works really well.)
More easy baking recipes
Tools used to make this fork biscuit recipe
These biscuits are the perfect mix of easy, comforting and (when drizzled with chocolate) indulgent. For only a few ingredients and less than an hour, you've got a simple recipe that covers all our biscuit/ cookie needs!
Mary Berry's Fork Biscuits Recipe
Ingredients
- 100 g (⅖ cups) butter
- 150 g (1 ⅐ cups) plain flour
- 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) baking powder
- 50 g (¼ cups) caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) of vanilla, optional
- For serving, optional
- 50 g (1 ¾ oz) dark chocolate or milk chocolate, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180c or 160c fan. Lightly butter or line two baking trays.
- Measure the butter into a bowl. Use an electric whisk to beat and soften the butter. Gradually beat in the sugar and then the flour and vanilla if using. Bring the mixture together with your hands to form a dough.
- Form the dough into 16 balls about the size of a walnut and place on the prepared baking trays. Leave about 2 inches space around each biscuit as they spread while they bake.Dip a fork in a little water and use this to flatten the biscuits. Bake in the preheated oven for 15–20 minutes until a very pale golden.
- Liftoff the baking tray and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Melt the chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave. Using a spoon to drizzle the melted chocolate over the biscuits and leave for 30 minutes for the chocolate to set.
Notes
Nutrition
THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING AND COOKING ALONG WITH ME! IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR HAVE A QUESTION, I’D LOVE IT IF YOU LEFT A COMMENT AND A RATING. YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW ALONG ON PINTEREST, FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM TO SEE WHAT WE’RE EATING, PINNING AND A LITTLE BEHIND THE SCENES TOO!
Bobbi
I am not a baker so thought I'd start with a simple recipe. You've given me confidence! These were easy, the step by step photos were helpful and they turned out perfect! Thank you.
Deborah Rainford
So happy to hear this Bobbi! They're such a great treat to make for when you want something simple!