🍪 Egg-Free Spiced Dunking Biscuits with Toasted Hazelnuts
Egg-free version of the spiced dunking biscuits. More crumbly and sandy, with extra starch as binder. Double-baked for maximum porosity.
Egg-Free Spiced Dunking Biscuits with Toasted Hazelnuts
1. Ingredients
Egg-free version, specifically calibrated to compensate for the missing protein binder. For all detailed technical considerations (ingredient choices, sugar reduction, milk comparison, muscovado vs white sugar+molasses), see the version with eggs. The resulting biscuit is more crumbly and sandy: it breaks apart when dunking after 3–4 seconds (vs. 5–6 with eggs), less golden, more neutral flavour.
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Semi-wholemeal flour (type 2) | 200 g |
| Plain flour (type 0) | 50 g |
| Muscovado sugar | 66 g |
| Mild extra-virgin olive oil | 40 g |
| Oat milk | 56 g |
| Cornstarch | 20 g |
| Baker's ammonia (ammonium bicarbonate) | 9 g |
| Pumpkin spice | 6 g |
| Toasted hazelnuts | 40 g |
| Wildflower honey | 8 g |
| Grated lemon zest | 2 g (about 1/4 lemon) |
| Salt | 2 g |
2. Method
- Nut preparation
- Chop 40 g toasted hazelnuts with a knife or pulse in a food processor: pieces of 2–3 mm, coarse granules.
- Dry mix
- In a large bowl combine 200 g semi-wholemeal flour (type 2), 50 g plain flour (type 0), 20 g cornstarch, 9 g baker's ammonia, 6 g pumpkin spice and 2 g salt. Add the chopped hazelnuts and stir.
- Wet mix (no eggs)
- In another bowl mix 66 g muscovado sugar with 40 g mild extra-virgin olive oil and 56 g oat milk. Add 8 g wildflower honey and 2 g grated lemon zest. Stir well until combined.
- Dough and rest
- Pour the wet into the dry. Knead by hand or with a dough hook (low speed, 3–4 minutes) until smooth and firm. Cover with a plate or lid and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Shaping and baking
- Pinch off pieces of dough and roll into sticks about 1.5 cm thick and 8 cm long. Place on a lined baking sheet, spaced 3–4 cm apart.
- Static oven preheated to 175 °C. Bake 18 minutes until lightly golden.
- Remove the tray, lower the oven to 150 °C and wait 3–5 minutes for the temperature to drop. Return the tray and bake another 10–12 minutes.
- Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar, let the biscuits sit inside for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
For all detailed technical considerations on ingredient choices, sugar reduction, milk comparison, and muscovado vs white sugar+molasses analysis, see the version with eggs of this recipe.
3. Storage
Let cool completely before storing.
- Room temperature: in an airtight tin or glass jar, they last 3 weeks. They get drier over time; even better for dunking.
- Refrigerator: not recommended. Dry biscuits absorb fridge moisture, lose crispness and become chewy within 2–3 days.
- Freezer: yes, in an airtight bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving; they return to their fresh-baked crispness.