Garibaldi Biscuits
Garibaldi biscuits are a classic British biscuit made with layers of buttery pastry and sweet dried fruit. Thin, crisp, golden biscuits are filled with chopped raisins or currants, giving you a delicious combination of buttery pastry and chewy fruit in every bite.
They're simple, old-fashioned biscuits that are perfect with a cup of tea or coffee- just like my almond Florentines.
If you've never made Garibaldi biscuits at home, this recipe is a great place to start. The biscuits look delicate and impressive once cut into neat little rectangles, but the process is actually quite straightforward.
Just like my homemade Vanilla wafers, these biscuits can be batch-made on a weekend and stored for anytime a snack craving hits.
Quick Look: Garibaldi Biscuits
- 🔪 Prep time: 40 minutes
- 🔥 Cook time: 15-20 minutes
- 🍪 Servings: About 12 biscuits
- 🥣 Main ingredients: All-purpose flour, butter, orange juice, raisins or currants, and egg
- ➡️ Method: Make dough → chill → chop dried fruit → roll dough → layer with fruit → glaze → cut → bake
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- ☕ Best served: With tea, coffee, or as an afternoon snack
Jump to recipe
Why This Recipe
- These biscuits have a lovely contrast between crisp, buttery pastry and chewy dried fruit.
- They use simple ingredients that are easy to find.The thin layers make these biscuits wonderfully crisp once baked.
- They're perfect for serving alongside a cup of tea or coffee- just like my gluten free gingersnap cookies.
Recipe Ingredients
All-purpose flour: Forms the base of the biscuit dough.
Sugar: I used a mix of icing sugar and granulated sugar to sweeten the dough and to sprinkle over the biscuits before baking.
Baking powder: To help the biscuits rise.
Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the buttery flavor.
Unsalted butter: Cold butter creates a tender, crumbly biscuit dough.
Orange juice: Adds moisture to the dough along with a subtle citrus flavor. Add homemade orange zest for an extra citrusy zing.
Raisins or currants: The signature filling, adding sweetness and chewy texture to the biscuits.
Egg: To give the biscuits a beautiful golden finish.
Check recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Use golden raisins, black raisins, or sweet currants depending on the flavor and texture you prefer. If you don't have sweet currants, use additional raisins instead.
- For a warmer flavor, add a small pinch of ground cinnamon or dried ginger powder to the dry ingredients.
- Cut the biscuits into smaller rectangles instead of squares if you prefer traditional tea-biscuit-sized pieces.
How to Make Garibaldi Biscuits
Step 1: Combine the flour, icing sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
Step 2: Chop the cold butter into small chunks and add it to the dry ingredients.
Step 3: Using your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles a crumbly mixture.
Step 4: Add the orange juice and mix until the ingredients come together to form a dough. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Step 5: Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it into a thin rectangle, about ⅛-inch thick. Lightly brush half of the rolled-out dough with the beaten egg glaze.
Step 6: Chop the raisins and currants into smaller pieces and spread half of them evenly over the glazed portion of the dough. Fold the uncovered half of the dough over the fruit-covered half, press lightly and roll with a rolling pin to even it out.
Step 7: Use a pizza cutter to trim the edges into straight lines, then cut the dough into approximately 2-inch squares or rectangles.
Step 8: Brush the surface of the biscuit squares with the remaining beaten egg glaze.
Step 9: Sprinkle the biscuits with the granulated sugar.
Step 10: Transfer the biscuits to a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
Shahida's Tips & Tricks
- Keep the butter cold when making the dough. Cold butter helps create a tender, crumbly texture.
- If the biscuit dough seems too tough, add a bit of ice water and work it in.
- Chill the dough before rolling it so it is easier to work with.
- Roll the dough to approximately ⅛-inch thickness. Keeping it thin helps give the biscuits their characteristic crisp texture.
- Chop the raisins or currants fairly small so they're easier to spread and don't make cutting the biscuits difficult.
- Use extra raisins to make pickled raisins or agrodolce sauce.
- Try to distribute the dried fruit evenly so each biscuit gets a good amount of filling.
- Press the folded dough gently with a rolling pin rather than rolling aggressively, which can squeeze the fruit out.
- Let the biscuits cool completely before storing them so condensation doesn't make them soft. I always do this when I make Anzac biscuits too.
How to Serve Garibaldi Biscuits
Garibaldi biscuits are perfect with a hot cup of tea or coffee. Serve them as part of an afternoon tea spread alongside other biscuits and small treats like gluten free seed crackers, brown sugar candied walnuts or simply keep a container on hand for an easy afternoon snack.
They're also delicious with a glass of cold milk if you're looking for something a little more comforting.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
The dough may have been rolled too thick, or the biscuits may need a little more baking time. Roll the dough to approximately ⅛ inch and bake until the biscuits are evenly golden.
Chilling the dough for 30 minutes makes it easier to roll and work with. It also helps keep the butter cold before baking.
Yes. You can prepare the dough, wrap it well, and keep it chilled until you're ready to roll and bake the biscuits.
Once completely cooled, store the biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
More Holiday Sweet Treats
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Garibaldi Biscuits
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar for sprinkling
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cold
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 1-2 tablespoons ice water as needed
- 1½ cups raisins golden raisins, or sweet currants
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, confectioners' sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Chop the cold butter into small chunks and add it to the dry ingredients. Work the butter into the flour mixture using your fingers until the mixture is crumbly.
- Add the orange juice and mix until a dough forms. If needed, add 1-2 tablespoons of ice water, a little at a time, until the dough comes together.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- Chop the raisins or currants into small pieces.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Roll the chilled dough into a thin rectangle, approximately ⅛-inch thick.
- Lightly brush half of the dough with the beaten egg glaze, then spread half of the chopped raisins or currants over the glazed portion.
- Fold the uncovered half of the dough over the fruit-covered half.
- Press lightly over the dough with a rolling pin to even it out and help the layers stick together.
- Brush the surface with the remaining beaten egg glaze.
- Use a pizza cutter to trim the edges and cut the dough into approximately 2-inch squares or rectangles.
- Sprinkle the biscuits with the granulated sugar.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Allow the biscuits to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Notes
- Keep the butter cold while making the dough for the best texture.
- Add the ice water gradually and only as needed to bring the dough together.
- Roll the dough to approximately ⅛ inch for crisp, delicate biscuits.
- Chop the raisins or currants fairly small so they're easier to spread and cut.
- Let the biscuits cool completely before storing them.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
