Amerikaner German Vanilla Biscuit Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
• In a big bowl cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Little by little add the milk and the eggs.
• In a second bowl mix flour, baking powder and starch. Add to the butter-mixture and stirr in until just blended.
• Using 2 tablespoons drop 6 heaps of dough onto each paper-lined baking sheet (you will need 2). Make sure to leave enough space in between the heaps as dough will spread during baking.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire-rack and allow to cool.
• If using the glaze stir together icing sugar and lemon juice and spread this onto the even side of the Amerikaner.
• Idea: For children you can spread the curved side of the biscuit with a chocolate icing and stick slivered almonds into them to make them appear like little hedgehogs. :).

Steps:

• Mix all dry ingredients together.
• Mix together water, milk, eggs, and extracts.
• Cream butter.
• Mix in sugar, a little at a time.
• Add liquid ingredients, mix well.
• Add dry ingredients in several steps, blend well after each.
• The dough needs to be fairly firm, not like cookie dough but drier than cake dough, if it is too runny add a little more flour.
• Put dough about two tablespoons on a greased cookie sheet, don't place too close together as this will spread.
• Bake in a preheated 300ºF to 325ºF oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
• After about 10 minutes in the oven brush the exposed side with some milk.
• Finish baking till the dough turns a golden brown, don't overbake.
• Light Glaze:.
• Mix powdered sugar with enough water to make a spreadable mass, you can't mess this one up, too thin- more sugar, too thick- more water.
• Dark Glaze:.
• Mix powdered sugar and cocoa and proceed as for light glaze.
• Glaza the underside of the Amerikaner with either or both glazes.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip the flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda and a good pinch of salt into a large bowl or food processor. Rub in the butter with your fingers or whizz in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Stir in the buttermilk until you get a moist dough.
• Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, then knead once or twice to bring the mixture together. Pat out the dough with your hands until 1cm thick and roughly 20cm by 10cm. Cut in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 6 triangles, dipping your knife in flour before each cut to prevent it from sticking.
• Place on a baking sheet, arranging them about 5cm apart. Brush over the tops with milk or cream, then cook in the oven for 10-12 mins until risen and golden brown. Leave to cool a little before serving.