The church biscuit: 56. Raspberry and ricotta biscuits with dark chocolate button topping

With Wimbledon in full swing, we have been very indulgent on the strawberry front, so I thought this week I’d repeat last week’s recipe but with the refreshing taste of fresh raspberries instead of strawberries (I also used ricotta rather than mascarpone and chose dark chocolate buttons instead of white chocolate.) The biscuits flew off the plate which must be some sort of verdict – unless absolutely everyone had rushed out to church without having breakfast (all too possible).

Meanwhile I have been wondering whether these biscuits might be even better if the amount of flour were halved and replaced with ground almonds  – or even ground hazelnuts – no, especially ground hazelnuts – yes, definitely ground hazelnuts. Ummm … you could go on tinkering with this recipe for ever.

But no more biscuits  yet … for, after a double Christening yesterday followed by  an overflowing cornucopia of tiny bits of deliciousness  and champagne, we are on diet of simple goodness and much greenery for the rest of the week. But it will be a very jolly week (definitely with more strawberries) for Wimbledon is still going strong and the vicar and I are finding ourselves going round humming Nelly the Elephant, The Teddy Bears’ Picnic, Cwm Rhondda (Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer)  and even Shine Jesus Shine (not ordinarily quite my sort of hymn) and quite wonderfully one or other of the tunes seem to cover any mood we find ourselves in. Our organ – which is in need of a bit of financial tlc – was given a thorough outing for the Christening, going from the fairground through the Welsh valleys and a primary school and back to the fairground again all of which proved what a very fine instrument it is and what joy it gives to to a special occasion.

The church biscuit: 56. Raspberry and ricotta biscuits with dark chocolate button topping

Ingredients

110 g unsalted butter cubed and softened

200 g golden caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

zest of one lemon

1 egg

225 g ricotta/mascapone cheese

250 g SR flour

1/4 tsp salt

200 g raspberries (wiped clean, not washed) and chopped

a large packet of dark chocolate buttons

This recipe made about 40 largish biscuits, so perhaps halve ingredients if you haven’t got a couple of  sets of parishioners to feed, although I’m sure they would keep well in the fridge and even make a good dessert with extra raspberries and a dollop of Greek yoghurt (or double cream).

I lined 2 trays with non-stick baking paper and cooked them in 3 batches.

 Preheat oven to 180°/160° fan oven/Gas Mark 4 and line  baking trays.

Cream the butter and sugar with the lemon zest until light and fluffy – about 2 minutes in a mixer. Beat in the egg and fold in the cream cheese. Mix to combine. Sift the dry ingredients and fold into the mixture. Finally, fold in the raspberries being unconcerned about them breaking up in the process.

Place dollops of the mixture on the prepared trays, spacing them 3-4 cm apart. Cooking time is about 15 minutes in total; I added the chocolate buttons after about 10 minutes but kept an eye on things as I think biscuits with more fruit took a bit longer to cook. (Some of my  biscuits look as if they could have done with another minute or two.)

Let biscuits cool on the baking tray for 10 mins and then lift off with a palette knife and cool further on a wire rack.

Protect from the household as rather more than I had bargained for disappeared off the cooling rack before they ever got to church. Attempt charity of spirit in such circumstances.

The church biscuit: 56. Raspberry and ricotta biscuits with dark chocolate button topping