English Raisin Tea Biscuits
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- ¾ cup sugar
- 4 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¾ cup butter
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup evaporated milk, undiluted
- 1 cup raisins, light or dark, your preference; use up to 1 1/2 cups if you like
- 2 bsp. lemon juice
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 375°F.
- I start these in my food processor because it is so fast; however, they can be made just as easily in a large bowl by cutting the butter in with a pastry blender or just rubbing it into the dry ingredients using your hands.
- In a food processor or large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Cut in the butter until mixture resembles a coarse meal.
- Toss in the raisins.
- Make a well in the center of the dry mixture.
- In a small bowl or cup, mix together the lemon juice, vanilla and milk.
- Pour into the well and mix only enough to form a dough ball.
- Roll to 1-inch thickness and cut out buns with a biscuit cutter and place on parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Baking time will vary depending on the size of your biscuit cutter.
Notes
Only use real butter in this recipe; substitutes can cause issues with sticky dough.
Make sure your surface is well floured before you drop the dough onto it. You can sprinkle a little flour on top before you form it into a circle to roll out. The goal is to keep the dough as soft and unworked as possible.
I usually sprinkle on flour and fold the dough only about 3 times. So, while you can add more flour while working the dough into shape, don’t overdo it or the raisins will be less soft and tender. Do not roll them too thin; never thinner than 1 to 1 1/2 inches.
The English Raisin Tea Biscuits is generally served with Clotted Cream and Raspberry Refrigerated Jam, which can be found on our website at: