As nearly all of the letters in the alphabet have been used up, we’ve now arrived at the letter Z for AlphaBakes. Initially I was a little puzzled as to what to make as zuccini isn’t in season in this part of the world and I didn’t fancy making zabaglione.
Then I remembered the recipe I’d bookmarked ages ago for two-chocolate zebras, but couldn’t actually remember which book it was in. I hastened to my bookshelves and had a quick rifle through. Ah, there it was in Linda Collister’s The Great British Bake Off with a piece of paper marking the page. Now was obviously the time to make them.
Fiddly biscuits are not really my thing, but I was glad I made these as they looked quite impressive and weren’t nearly as fiddly as I thought they were going to be. They were also quite delicious with the sweet white chocolate contrasting nicely with the less sweet and more intense dark layers. The biscuits were nice and crisp with a buttery taste and it was hard to stop at only one. So I didn’t.
Zebra Biscuits
- 125g unsalted butter – softened
- 100g golden caster sugar (I used vanilla sugar for an extra vanillary hit)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 250g flour (half wholemeal spelt, half white)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch sea salt (I used pink Himalayan rock salt)
- 45g white chocolate (I used (vanillary Green & Black’s)
- 45g of 85% dark chocolate
- Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the vanilla extract, followed by the egg.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt. Then stir everything together until all incorporated. This bit can be tough going as the mixture is stiff.
- Form the dough into a ball, then divide into two equal pieces.
- Melt the white chocolate gently in a bowl suspended over hot, but not boiling water. Then add it to one half of the dough, mashing it together until fully incorporated. Form into a rectangular block.
- Melt the dark chocolate gently in the same bowl suspended over the same pan of hot water. Then add to the other half of the dough, again mashing together until all incorporated. Form into a rectangular block.
- Cover the two rectangles with a wrap or place in a plastic bag and leave in the fridge for about 20 minutes to firm up.
- Roll both pieces of dough out to form rectangles of 20 cm x 15 cm.
- Place one on top of the other, then cut lengthways into three equal pieces.
- Stack these one on top of each to form a long rectangle of six layers. Press down gently so they bond.
- Cut into thin slices, approx 5 mm and lay them on a lined baking tray. I got 33.
- Leave somewhere cool to firm up for another 20 minutes, then bake at 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4) for 10 minutes or until the white stripes have just turned golden.
- Transfer onto a wire rack to cool.
Sharing
Z is for Zebra Biscuits for this month’s AlphaBakes with Caroline Makes and Ros of The More Than Occasional Baker.
I’ve had this recipe bookmarked ever since I first got the book The Great British Bake Off: Have to Bake by Linda Collister so I’m submitting this to Jac’s Bookmarked Recipes over at Tinned Tomatoes.
I’m also entering these into The Biscuit Barrel with Laura of I’d Much Rather Bake Than. She’s chosen chocolate as this month’s theme.
These look very pretty.
Lovely attractive biscuits.
I rarely bake biscuits as I always burn them underneath and having lived with my gas oven for 11 years have only just learn the trick of standing another baking tray underneath them. Onwards to lots of biscuits now.
These look wonderful I am going to book mark and try.
Very cute. I suspect I would eat them along their lines rather than bite across…but I can be odd like that!
They look so cute! Would love to have them with my coffee 😉
Cute cookies. I like the whole “alphabakes” concept. And go you getting all the way to “Z.”
Beautiful stripes! These cookies look lovely!
so that’s what these little biscuits are called! I make them, but call them layer biscuits…zebra biscuits is so much nicer.
Hmmmmmm, not sure they would come out like that if I made them 🙂
What ingenuity on the letter Z Choclette! They look mightily yummy, I’d happily wolf down a few with a cuppa. Yes please!
I’ve made these before so I know they are very addictive but yours look much bett than mine! I wish I had thought of using zebra as my Z in a cake and I probably still would if I had the time for a second entry but I’m not sure I will now sadly but we shall see! Thank you so much for sharing them with the Biscuit Barrel challenge =)
Beautiful and imaginative. Blessings dear. Catherine xo
Clever lady, I couldn’t think of a Z recipe! Inspired 🙂
Great idea for Alphabakes, thanks for entering! Glad we’ve had a biscuit entry and not just cake as well.
SUCH a good idea!.. love these and such a brilliant idea for AlphaBakes… they look so pretty. x
Haha, yes #Alphabakes was a bit of a toughy this month. Thanks Dom 🙂
FAB name for striped biscuits and a GREAT entry for Alphabakes too! LOVE these! Karen
Thanks Karen – if I’d photographed them sideways on, they might have actually born a bit more resemblance to the real thing #liveandlearn
They’re so cute and I bet they taste scrummy
Janie x
Thanks Jane, we’re enjoying the contrast between the sweet white and bitter dark chocolate layers.
What a neat idea.
Thank you 🙂
Zebra biscuits are great, not too fiddly. GG
Ahh, that is what I have now discovered Amanda – phew!
These look good. For a while I’ve been thinking of making some snail biscuits using a similar method but haven’t quite got around to it yet.
Snail biscuits sound interesting Corina. Is that the same sort of thing but in a roll?
Oooh don’t those look good!! Perfect with a cup of tea 🙂
Toodles,
Tammy<3
Thank you Tammy. Jolly good idea. Just off to make myself a cup of tea and get a biscuit 😉
laughing at your non-fiddly biscuits! ANY baking is fiddly to me!!!
Oh rubbish Fiona, you are quite a baker these days 🙂
Nice idea for Z – I looked at this theme and wondered what on earth you would make. These look quite fancy too
Thanks Johanna. Not the sort of biscuit I would normally make, but I’m glad I did as they weren’t nearly as much effort as I thought they’d be. Although I would like to know how to cut clean slices so the colours don’t leach.
Cute! I’ve made a zebra cake in the past, but zs are hard to come by!
Yes indeed, especially at night 😉