Little Lemon Butter Biscuits

It's amazing how so few ingredients can go towards making such a delicious treat and they are very easy to make. No need to worry about having lots of space to roll out dough, as these biscuits require such a simple method to shape them. Just by pressing a fork on the dough to flatten them, gives a good shape with a pleasing ridged pattern on top – perfect for catching the sugar crystals for added crunch.

These little biscuits are a fitting partner to be enjoyed with afternoon tea or coffee or as part of a dessert with ice cream and a fruit compote.

They have good keeping qualities and will remain crispy when stored in an airtight container. I dare you to see just how long they last, that's if you don't succumb to their irresistible butteriness too soon!

Make about 30-32 biscuits

Ingredients
9oz plain flour
3oz caster sugar
grated zest of 1 lemon
6oz unsalted butter
granulated sugar for sprinkling

Method
Preheat the oven to 190C / 375F / Gas 5.
Lightly oil a couple of baking sheets or cover them with baking parchment.

In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar and lemon zest together.
Rub in the butter and work well with your hands. It helps if you have warm hands, as this will make the dough come together well. Don't worry about overworking the mixture as this is key in getting the consistency right. When the dough is smooth and no cracks appear then you're ready to start making the biscuit shapes.

Take a small amount of dough and roll it in the palms of your hands until it forms a ball about 3cm in diameter and place them on the baking tray about 7cm apart.
Next using the back of a fork press down on the balls so they flatten out.
Sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Place in the oven and bake until light golden brown for about 20-30 minutes.
When they're baked take out of the oven and allow to cool slightly before carefully removing them with a palette knife and placing on a wire rack to cool.

Store in airtight container.