Ouzo and lemon biscuits will become your new favourite treat. Serve them with a coffee or with some ouzo poured over ice.
I like workshopping ideas that will help you see ouzo in a different light.
I don’t want to sound like a broken record (but I inevitably will!) don’t be afraid to use ouzo in your kitchen.
Ouzo is bold enough to star in a cocktail and strong enough to lend the right flavour to a stunning cake.
Today’s recipe marries ouzo with a little lemon, a touch of aniseed and a good helping of olive oil. I think this personifies Greece on a plate!
It's a “perfect” trio that will make these ouzo and lemon biscuits a real treat.
Although not quite as “toothy” as shortbread, they still hold well on their own.
The biggest issue I encountered was the topping. Ok, issue is probably stretching it a bit. It was more like a dilemma.
You see, my initial idea was to cover the ouzo and lemon biscuits in sesame seeds, but I didn’t have any on hand! (I still think this would work the best).
I tried to roll them in poppy seeds but found the favour “not quite right”.
Finally, I settled on some flaked almonds, which added a nice texture and crunch, once cooked in the oven.
I like to serve these ouzo and lemon biscuits with a Greek coffee and some ouzo on ice on the side. Doing that makes me feel "a little more Greek", so stop speak.
Enjoy!
💭 Top tips
- Authentic: Be sure to use a brand of ouzo you love. Something from Greece will give you a more authentic taste. And don't forget that you're going to want to drink it too. Avoid cheap imitations!
- Don't overdo it! A little goes a long way. Think of cooking with alcohol like somebody applying makeup. Too much and you look like a clown. Just right and everyone will adore you ?
- Substitute: And lastly, if you can't find ouzo where you live, try substituting it with another aniseed based liqueur. Pernod or Sambuca work well.
Ouzo and Lemon Biscuits Recipe
Ingredients
- 120 ml olive oil
- 120 g sugar, caster (superfine)
- 2 eggs
- 80 ml Ouzo
- 1 teaspoon aniseed, ground
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 lemon, zested
- 380 g flour, plain (all-purpose)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ cup almonds, flaked (or sesame seeds)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 deg C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Combine the olive oil, sugar and eggs in a bowl of a stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy (approx. 2 mins)
- Add the ouzo, aniseed, vanilla and lemon zest and stir to combine again. Add the flour and baking powder gradually until a smooth dough forms.
- Roll the dough out between two sheets of baking paper measuring approx. 1cm thick. Using a 5.5cm cookie cutter, cut out little rounds and place on a lined baking tray. Repeat this process until you end up with 30 biscuits.
- Brush a little beaten egg on top of each biscuit, top with flaked almonds and bake for 15 mins. until golden. Allow to cool before serving up with ouzo and Greek coffee.
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