Post originally published October 2013, refreshed and updated November 2021
These little biscuits are fun to make, especially if you make tiny hearts or teeny squares. Spice them up with cinnamon or mixed spice at Christmas time. Or see the variations for masses of ideas to ring the changes.
What do I need to make raisin biscuits
Depending on the size of biscuit you make, you will get around 24 from this batch
▢ 75 g raisins
▢ 150 g self-raising flour, the cheapest value kind is fine
▢ 60 g sugar, granulated
▢ 60 ml vegetable oil
▢ 45 ml cold water
How Do I Make Raisin Biscuits
This is a very simple recipe, you just bung everything in a bowl and add enough water to make a dough, about 2 tblsps should do it.
Roll out your dough to the thickness of a £1 coin and cut into rounds.
You can use biscuit cutters, the top of a glass, or dispense with the rounds altogether and cut the dough into squares, oblongs, or indeed any shapes you fancy, including completely random. If you are making these for children, cutting them small and in ‘special’ shapes is fun, like tiny squares, or triangles, or long and thin, like a finger, with maybe an almond ‘fingernail’.
Squash any leftover dough back together and repeat until you have used it all up.
Put the biscuits on baking trays and bake in a medium oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Leave on the tray or put on a cooling rack to firm up. Once cold, store in an airtight container.
If you are following meal plan two, use these to top up your calories as and when you need to, with your lunch, packed or otherwise, with a hot drink – any time
What Are Raisin Biscuits Like?
The little biscuits are crisp and crunchy. The oil helps to make them this way. If you prefer a solid fat, or butter, the taste will really come through here, but the texture will be different – a little less crunchy.
In Meal Plan 2, we make these Spiced Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits by adding a couple of teaspoons of spice.
Variations For This Raisin Biscuit Recipe
- You could add cinnamon, which is available in meal plan 2,
- or mixed spice,
- or maybe some dried ginger.
- You could change the dried fruit to currants, cranberries, figs, sultanas, apricots, mango. Or if you have dried some plums, like me, you could put some of those in. Yum
- Musing on what else could go in them, I am wondering if fine diced veg would work.
- Something like shredded carrot and orange zest perhaps,
- or beetroot and chocolate chip,
- or grated courgette, raisin and lemon zest.
- I think I might have to try one or more of those and see what I think! I’ll let you know if it works. Or not.
- Ooh, ooh, or how about making them savoury biscuits?
- A squidge of tomato paste and garlic puree,
- a grating of carrot and a tsp of garam masala,
- shredded courgette and tandoori powder,
- fine chopped olive/capers/gherkins?
- with a tiny sprinkle of cheese on top,
- Marmite,
- peanut butter (with a smear of jam on :))
- tapenade,
- cheese and mustard
- a good grating of Parmesan and some chopped walnuts
My mind is now completely boggled and I must stop or I will be out in that kitchen experimenting and I can’t afford the calories to scoff lots of biscuits on the pretext of ‘testing’ them!
These feature in Meal Plan 2, a complete 7 day plan for 2 adults. Contains 3 meals a day, plus snacks , all recipes and a shopping list
At Christmas time, I like to make these in seasonal shapes. Leaving out the raisins and adding about a tblsp of mixed spice or cinnamon. Stir well and smell the mixture, if you can’t smell the spice, add a bit more. The spiced biscuits feature in a weekly vegetarian meal plan.
Other Biscuit Recipes You Might Like
Oaty Biscuits. Delicious, very versatile and totally irresistible!
Meal Plan 8 – Coconut Biscuits, 3p each, or 61p for a 24 biscuit batch
Ingredients
- 75 g raisins
- 150 g self-raising flour
- 60 g sugar
- 60 ml oil
- 45 ml cold water
Instructions
- Bung everything in a bowl and add enough water to make a dough, about 2 tblsps should do it.
- Roll out your dough to the thickness of a £1 coin and cut into rounds.
You can use biscuit cutters, the top of a glass, or dispense with the
rounds altogether and cut the dough into squares, oblongs, or indeed any
shapes you fancy, including completely random. If you are making these
for children, cutting them small and in ‘special’ shapes is fun, like
tiny squares, or triangles, or long and thin, like a finger, with maybe
an almond ‘fingernail’. Squash any leftover dough back together and
repeat until you have used it all up. - I got 24 biscuits from a 2¼"/6cm round cutter
- Put the biscuits on baking trays and bake in a medium oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Gas Mark 5/ 375°F/ 190°C / 170°C Fan
- Leave on the tray or put on a cooling rack to firm up. Once cold, store in an airtight container.
Equipment Needed
Notes
Variations
You could add cinnamon, which is available in meal plan 2, or mixed spice, or maybe some dried ginger. You could change the dried fruit to currants, cranberries, figs, sultanas, apricots, mango. Or if you have dried some plums, like me, you could put some of those in. Yum Musing on what else could go in them, I am wondering if fine diced veg would work. Something like shredded carrot and orange zest perhaps, or beetroot and chocolate chip, or grated courgette, raisin and lemon zest. I think I might have to try one or more of those and see what I think! I’ll let you know if it works. Or not. Or how about making them savoury biscuits? A squidge of tomato paste and garlic puree, a grating of carrot and a tsp of garam masala, shredded courgette and tandoori powder, fine chopped olive/capers/gherkins? with a tiny sprinkle of cheese on top, Marmite, peanut butter (with a smear of jam on :)) tapenade, cheese and mustard My mind is now completely boggled and I must stop or I will be out in that kitchen experimenting and I can’t afford the calories to scoff lots of biscuits on the pretext of ‘testing’ them.
Glad you liked them Becky! Lots of variations you can try too
Wow these really are great. So easy to just whip up and devour brilliant. This will be going in my recipe book.
Hmm, it does sound like it was too dry. Maybe if you try them again add a smidge more liquid right at the start, say another tblsp. Then leave the dough to rest and absorb the liquid for just a couple of minutes before rolling it out
I struggled to roll these out because the dough was crumbly but then when I added more liquid it stuck to the surface so I had to use lots of flour, which dried it out again. Any thoughts on where I went wrong?!
Cornishchick, I use either sunflower or rapeseed. Any flavourless oil would be fine. Olive oil would be lovely if you want to use it, it would give a flavour tho
Sorry to sound dim, but what sort of Oil? I have olive and veg.
Mmmm, pineapple and coconut crumble, sounds like it be worth trying!
I’ve got 12 tins of mandarin pieces from Approved Foods for 12p a tin to use up, so I need some ideas for that. Mandarin and apple crumble maybe?
I made these today in just a few minutes when I heard that 2 of my grandsons were coming to see me. They went down very well indeed and I cant get over how easy they are. I’ve never used oil in biscuits before but I will again. I am going to make a few variations and will report back. My daughter has taken a copy of the recipe.
I tried to comment on your crumble but went wrong somewhere so I hope this works. I was going to suggest A*da smart price pineapple chunks, 34p for a large tin. They would be nice with coconut in the crumble topping.
I often use S’bury instant custard powder, 15p, as I can just put a spoonful in a mug and make a single serving. It also tastes very good !
They would indeed 🙂
P
haha, urgh, curranty warts – the kids would love them!
You could make witched fingers for Halloween. As you say almonds for nails and currants for warts!
Phryne
x
MissPiggy, I was beng lazy! I knew a medium oven for my fan oven would be 180°, but not what the others were off the top of my head.
A medium oven is Gas 4, 350°F, 180°C, Fan 160°C
I have thought for a while now that a conversion chart would be handy, so I am doing a page for that
The Captcha are sweet aren’t they, I was rather taken with them when I found them. I had to put something on, I was getting all kinds of ridiculous spammy comments and signups
This looks lovely, am keen to try – sorry to be ignorant but what is a medium oven? (Oh and thank you for the nice easy Captcha, so much more accessible than most others!)
Cor, that was quick! Glad you liked them 🙂
I have just made a batch of these, using value mixed dried fruit. Really simple and really tasty. Thanks for the recipe. First time I have ever used oil in biscuits, and it works very well.