Horseshoe Almond Biscuits

When I was little, I used to have these biscuits every time I visited my aunt in Italy. She knew how much I loved them and she would buy buckets of them at the local bakery. I haven’t had these in years and the other day, while I was on the phone with my mum talking about food and recipes (what a surprise) she mentioned she had a recipe for these very tasty almond horseshoe biscuits. I immediately made the connection in my mind and asked her to send it through immediately. Twenty minutes later I was already on the case.

These are tricky to shape because there is no real binding ingredient apart from the butter; but don’t despair, all it’s needed is a very delicate touch.

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In butter we trust!

Ingredients

100g icing sugar
300g plain flour
200g butter
125g ground almonds
1 pinch of salt
50g dark chocolate
1 tsp of oil

Step by Step

• Leave the butter at room temperature for 15min or until is pliable

• Mix all the ingredients in your stand mixer

• If you don’t have a stand mixer you can use a handheld one

• When the dough comes together cut little pieces of dough and with your hands roll them out. Use as little pressure as possible in your hands or the dough might split

• Cut your little rolled out snake into smaller pieces. Shape each piece as a horseshoe and place it on a baking tray

• Bake in a preheated oven at 200 C for roughly 8min

• The baking time might change depending on how big your biscuits are. As soon as you see the edges starting to change colour, take them out!

• Melt the chocolate in a bain marie and mix in your tsp of oil

• Dip the ends of your cooled down biscuits and leave them to dry in a tray covered with parchment

• Enjoy!

Tips & Cheat

Butter is the only binding ingredient and that means that when the dough is uncooked it will tend to split easily. When you roll them out apply as little pressure as possible. I find it easier to roll out with my fingers rather than palms.

The tiny teaspoon of oil in the chocolate will give you shiny choc tips!