4 Dec 2013

jam roly-poly biscuits


So on my biscuit-baking journey I have now discovered what I don't want: a soft biscuit. These lovely old fashioned jam roly-poly bikkies were too cake-like, which was most disappointing as the process of making them was so pleasurable and relaxing.

It may appear like a lot of pfaffing about in stages - make the dough, then chill the dough; roll out the dough and spread with jam, then chill the dough again; then finally slice the log of dough into pretty pinwheels before baking.

But in truth, all those stages fitted perfectly around my Saturday morning chores. So it became chill the dough, do the groceries; chill the dough again, mow the lawn; bake the biscuits, put the laundry away.

But as I said, soft and cakey. I'm still enjoying crisp and short, or yikes-was-that-a-bit-of-tooth-I-just-broke hard. So what to do?

I took them to my Tuesday night yoga class, where the container sat teasingly while we did gomukhasana and my classmates whispered 'I want a biscuit now!' (I said if they were careful about the crumbs, they wouldn't be caught out. No eating before class, you see, so certainly not during).

So maybe you like a soft and cakey biscuit, like my yoga classmates? Here you go then.


Jam roly-poly biscuits
From Miranda Gore Browne's 'Biscuit'.
  • In your food processor, combine 250 gms plain flour with 1/2 tspn baking powder and 125 gms sugar. Then add 125 gms butter (cut into chunks) and 1 tsp vanilla extract, and whiz up til it resembles breadcrumbs.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg and 1 egg yolk, then add this to your food processor (while running) until the dough balls together. Remove from food processor and knead together on a very lightly floured surface. Shape into a rectangle as best you can, then wrap with cling film and chill for an hour or so (or as long as it takes you to do your groceries).
  • Once chilling time is up, take the dough and roll out - this time between two sheets of baking paper. Try to keep it rectangular in shape, and roll it out til about 5mm thick (or until your arms get tired; I think mine was a bit thicker than this).
  • Now take your favourite jam (I used strawberry jam and loganberry jam; why not?) and spread it all over the dough. You don't want it too thick, otherwise it squirts out when you...
  • Carefully roll the dough into a log. Use the baking paper to help you - kind of push it away from you to get the roll going, then peel away the paper, back towards you. Breathe patiently.
  • Chill for an hour or so (or as long as it takes you to mow the front and back lawns).
  • Preheat your oven to 180 and prep some baking trays.
  • Unwrap the log and cut carefully into slices about 1 cm thick (it is trickiest at the ends; I cut these uneven bits off and just squashed them flat). 
  • Place slices on the trays with some space around them (they don't spread too much). Bake for about 15-20 minutes (the original recipe specified 10-15 minutes but mine needed longer) or until lightly golden and the underside is firm and cooked. Remove and stand for a few minutes before cooling on wire racks.

25 comments:

  1. Yum! I would like a soft cakey biscuit right now. But I'm not sure I have the patience.. :)

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    1. Yes, you do need a certain amount of patience, jacqui, and time - and perhaps chores, like i did!

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  2. Interesting recipe… I prefer a biscuit to have a biscuit texture.

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  3. I do like biscuits to have a bit of a bite to them, but then these look so good... might have to try making some - just to be sure!

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    1. Good idea, GD, just to satisfy your curiosity!

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  6. Your time management skills are impressive E.

    I adore jam rolls but had no idea how much work was involved. It's a science!

    This is a pretty fine specimen. Yum!

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    1. Thanks, SB, i don't think i realised how much work was involved either!

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  7. These are so pretty! I'm 100% sure that you could have invented a yoga pose called the "downwards facing biscuit eater". I would probably go to yoga more often if this was included...

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    1. Hi Hannah - yes, pretty is the right word for these.

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    2. And your new yoga pose cracks me up!!

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  8. Love the idea of eating biscuits whilst doing yoga! I think I could manage a "downward facing biscuit eater" pose quite happily! I love a cakey biscuit :-)

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  9. But we didn't eat any during class! Just in case my yoga teacher ever reads this... I shall think of this conversation next time i am in downward dog!!

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  10. I've never eaten a jam roly poly but I have heard about them ever since I moved to Australia. I should take a page out of your book and make these so I can say I've eaten one. :)

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  11. To tll the truth, Maureen, i think of a jam roly poly as a little spongey cake, filled with jam and cream, not a biscuit. As this recipe came from a British book, maybe they are biscuits in the UK? They were a cakes kind of biscuit...v confusing...

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  12. test as reply.
    sorry everyone - somethign crackers is hapenning, computer won't allow me to reply to you. grrrr.

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  13. My girls would love this! I love a jam roly poly!

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  14. hello yellow :-) it is probably a fun thing to do with children - especially the jam spreading bit, i imagine - nice and messy and jammy !

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  15. Very impressed with how you fitted your biscuit making into your day. I've always loved jam roly poly especially as a child but haven't had it lately, these biscuits look delicious, yum!

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  16. hello catherine - mult-tasking at its best, huh! it's lovely how this recipe is bringing back memories for people.

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  17. These look great, but I'm a bit more of an instant gratification type - plus kids just can't stand WAITING. You should see them at the freezer when we make ice cream.

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    1. ice cream - well, of course! that's great :-)

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  18. My daughter's just made these - you're right, they're proper cakey. Ours didn't work at all, we've ended up with jammy splodges. I vote leaving the whole egg out and just adding the egg yolk. Our mixture was too wet so we couldn't roll it - and 8 tablespoons of jam is way too much so it all squodged out. They taste okay, but are too... cakey. And in the UK jam roly poly is a steamed pudding made with jam and suet.

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