Aberffraw shell biscuits
The prettiest shortbread biscuits, surrounded by plenty of legend, are Bisgedi Aberffraw. It is said that while a Welsh king was holding court in Aberffraw, his wife was walking on the beach there, picked up a shell and asked for a cake to be baked in the same form.
A more realistic origin story though was perhaps the famous pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. This route, in northwestern Spain, began in the 8th century with pilgrims wearing badges on their hat in the shape of scallop shells.
Under the patronage of King Gruffudd ap Cynan (1075–1137) or his son Owain Gwynedd (1137–70), a stone church was built at Aberffraw, with Romanesque features similar to 12th-century churches on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. The scallop shell persisted.
For many years, Aberffraw biscuits have been baked in local homes and cottage industries. This recipe uses wholemeal flour for some added texture, and sea salt for depth. You will need scallop shells to make the patterns.
Ingredients
- 150 g plain white flour
- 50g wholemeal flour
- 45 g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
- 10 g demerara sugar
- 140 g unsalted butter, removed from the fridge 15 minutes before mixing
- 1–3 tbsp milk
- 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (350°F/gas 6). Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
- Mix the flours and sugars in a large bowl. Cut the butter into squares and add to the bowl. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until the mixture comes together when you pinch it between fingers. Add a splash of milk to bring the mixture together into a dough – it will still feel slightly crumbly, but will begin to hold together.
- Gather the dough up into a thick disk with clean hands and wrap in cling film (plastic wrap) or beeswax wrap before transferring to the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes. (You can also roll the dough into a log, seal and freeze at this stage.)
- Roll out the dough onto a floured surface to about 1 cm (1/2 in) thickness. Use a 5 cm (2 in) round cutter to cut out 16 circles. Then press the back of a scallop shell into each round, leaving a shell imprint.
- Transfer the patterned dough rounds to the baking sheet and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 12–15 minutes until turning golden at the edges.
- Allow the biscuits to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
