Brown sugar walnut biscuits are a delicious, simple cookie perfect with a cup of tea.
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When my husband describes a biscuit as ‘the best biscuit you’ve ever made’ it’s hard to ignore him.
He’s rather fussy when it comes to baked goods.
I really do deprive him.
When he asked met to make a second batch of brown sugar walnut biscuits I told him I couldn’t make the same thing twice or what would I have to blog about?
It’s tough being married to a food blogger isn’t it?
I’m not sure what stuck me about this recipe but I find it hard to bypass any sort of biscuit with brown sugar.
I love the deep caramel-like flavour they give things and the extra level of chewiness.
Walnuts work really well in biscuits (I’ve just discovered) as they’re a relatively soft nut so no breaking your teeth on nutty surprises.
Really I don’t think I have to say any more about these.
The two of us knocked off a whole batch in two days although I did gift just a few to some friends.
You really must bake them.
Ingredients
To make walnut cookies you will need just a few simple ingredients:
- Butter - while most baking recipes call for unsalted butter, I'm not a stickler for that rule. Just use what you have.
- Vanilla extract - (I used vanilla bean paste) here's how to make your own pure vanilla extract
- Brown sugar - we just use regular light brown sugar but you could use a dark brown sugar for a deeper flavour. Here's how to make brown sugar.
- Egg - at room temperature (if you remember to take it out of the fridge in time)
- Plain flour - also called all purpose flour
- Bicarbonate of soda
- Ground mixed spice
- Coarsely chopped walnuts - usually you can get 'walnut pieces' from the supermarket or grocery store for a lot less per kilogram than whole walnuts so look out for the packet.
Can you use white sugar instead of brown sugar
Technically yes you could but they won't have the same chewy texture.
Here's how to make brown sugar with white sugar and molasses if you can't find brown sugar.
Instructions
Like any time you bake cookies, you start this one by pre-heating the oven - to 150C (ff) and preparing a baking tray with parchment paper.
Use a stand mixer (or medium bowl) cream the butter, vanilla, sugar and egg.
Then sift in the dry ingredients (minus the walnuts) and stir through.
Add the walnuts and mix them in then using a level tablespoon of dough (or a cookie scoop) roll dough into balls and pop them on the prepared baking sheet leaving at least 3cm between them.
Bake for 15 minutes or until golden and leave them to cool completely on the tray.
Store them in an airtight container for as long as you can resist eating them all.
Can I use pecans instead of walnuts
Yes you absolutely can. In baking, pecans and walnuts can pretty much be used interchangeably to give flavour and a nutty crunch.
Can I add chocolate chips
You could add chocolate or white chocolate chips to this recipe when you add the walnuts.
We'd recommend replacing some of the nuts with the chocolate to keep the add-in to biscuit dough ratio the same.
Recipe
Brown sugar walnut biscuits
Ingredients
- 200 g 7oz butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract I used vanilla bean paste
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 ¾ cup plain all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- ½ teaspoon ground mixed spice
- ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 150C fan-forced and line two baking trays with baking paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, vanilla, sugar and egg together until smooth and creamy.
- Sift in the flour, soda and mixed spice and beat them through until just combined then add the walnuts and stir until incorporated.
- Using a level tablespoon of dough at a time, roll the dough into balls and place on the lined trays leaving at least 3 cm between each one.
- Bake biscuits for 15 minutes and then leave to cool on the trays.
- Store in an airtight container when cool.
Nutrition
Liz says
Hi Claire,
Well have made your biscuits 3 or 4 times in the last couple of weeks.
But have changed the flours. Use spelt, 1 1/2 cups, & 1/4 cup of coconut
flour. Plus added nutmeg, & cinnamon with the mixed spice. Yum.
Can't have wheat so I substitute with spelt a lot, 1st time I've used the
coconut flour though but it seems to work ok.
Added cocoa today as well as the spices. Even more yum
Thanks for a great easy recipe.
Claire says
Yum yum yum! Great ideas Liz I'll have to try your version. You're very welcome.
Leo says
Hi Claire, I used your recipe and made delicious cookies (biscuits). Just wanted to say thanks and I appreciate your efforts.
Claire says
Thanks so much Leo. I love hearing when people try my recipes!
My Kitchen Stories says
Lovely bikkies Claire. I want to make them ....1.5 boxes left... thats great
Shirley from Rhubarb Whine says
Hi Claire, hope you are settling in. Look forward to hearing how you settle in to your new kitchen. It's always fun to sort out a new oven :)
Claire says
Thanks Shirley!
The Café Sucre Farine says
Haha Claire, my family asks me to make something again and I always tell them I can't go backwards. This weekend, I made doughnuts, not the old family favorite, but a new, interesting recipe. They didn't really like them and Lindsay said "if it's not broken, don't fix it". I cracked up! These cookies look fantastic, poor Will will probably never see them again in his life!
Claire says
Haha our poor families! He actually requested them again yesterday the poor boy!
Stephanie @ henry happened says
Oh, those sounds yummy! So are these cookies? Do you call cookies biscuits? Good luck with the last few boxes - for some reason those are the hardest!
Claire says
Haha yep our biscuits are your cookies. Your biscuits are a little like savoury scones to us. I got through the boxes this weekend!!!
Lisa the Gourmet Wog says
emptying boxes onto the floor counts ;)
These look awesome Claire! I too am drawn to brown sugar recipes, especially when they're spiced. Yum
Claire says
I finally managed to move the stuff from the floor to the cupboard so we are nearly unpacked!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
Moving is the worst job ever. We still have a whole roomful of stuff that doesn't fit in our house. One day...
I love your biscuits, although they'd have to be cookies at my house :)
Claire says
Yes cookies in the Orgasmic Chef house!
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
Hehe I think Will could have some interesting conversations with my husband! He just wants to go to the same Shanghai dumpling place but I can't do it! There are so many places to eat at! These look lovely and I "oohed" as soon as I saw the name!
Claire says
Oh they'd get on great! They both share the same lack of sweet tooth.
The Life of Clare says
Oh how I hate moving house! I also tend to unpack onto the floor, where it gathers dust until the right place arises. These biscuits look wonderful!
Claire says
Glad I'm not the only one Clare!