Outydse Soetkoekies - South African Spice Biscuits

Outydse soetkoekies scattered across a textured tea towel, surrounded by nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon sticks.

5 from 34 votes

Outydse Soetkoekies - South African Spice Biscuits

Thin, crisp South African spice biscuits, or outydse soetkoekies, made with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Perfect for tea tins, Christmas baking and coffee.

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Prep Time:15

Cook Time:12

Resting time:1

Total Time:1 27

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: South African

Keyword: Spice biscuits, South African, soetkoekies

Servings: biscuits

Calories: 100kcal

Ingredients

560 grams (19.8 oz) plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1½ teaspoon ground ginger
1½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
250 grams (8.8 oz) butter, softened room temperature
200 grams (7.1 oz) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs room temperature

Instructions

Line a few baking trays with non-stick baking paper and set them aside.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
560 grams (19.8 oz) plain flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1½ teaspoon ground ginger, 1½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground cloves
In a large bowl, add the butter, sugar and vanilla extract. Beat with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer for 3–4 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice so everything mixes evenly.
250 grams (8.8 oz) butter, softened, 200 grams (7.1 oz) sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Crack in the eggs and beat until fully combined. Don’t worry if the mixture looks a little curdled; this is normal.
2 eggs
Add the sifted dry ingredients to the butter mixture.
Fold everything together with a spatula or wooden spoon until the dough looks dry and crumbly.
Set the spatula aside and use your hands to gently bring the dough together until it forms a soft, cohesive ball with no dry patches of flour left. You can do this right in the bowl.
Turn the dough out onto a large piece of cling film, flatten it into a thick disc, wrap it snugly and chill for at least 1 hour. Chilling makes the dough easier to roll and helps the biscuits keep their shape.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough out to 3–4mm thickness. Roll it as evenly as you can so the biscuits bake at the same rate.
Cut into shapes using your favourite cookie cutters.
Place the cut biscuits on the prepared baking trays and chill them in the fridge for 10 minutes. This helps them hold their shape, especially if you’re using detailed cutters.
While the cut biscuits are chilling, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
Bake for 13–15 minutes, or until the biscuits are lightly golden and feel set. They will crisp more as they cool.
Let the biscuits firm up on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

The dough may look dry and crumbly at first. Use your hands to bring it together before adding any extra liquid.
Roll the dough to about 3-4mm thick for crisp biscuits. Thicker biscuits will be softer and may need a little longer to bake.
Chill the cut biscuits before baking if you want sharper shapes.
The biscuits crisp more as they cool, so don’t overbake them.

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