Garibaldi Biscuits Recipe
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Garibaldi Biscuits feature sweet currants nestled between two layers of soft, buttery biscuit dough. The result is a delightful contrast of textures, from the soft chewiness of the fruit to the crispy outer crust of the biscuit. These golden garibaldis are a classic biscuit and perfect for pairing with a cup of tea or coffee!
Garibaldi Biscuits Recipe
Homemade Garibaldi biscuits are the best! Made from just eight ingredients, these traditional biscuits feature a homemade, buttery dough that is delicately sweetened.
The dough is speckled with currants, which are added dry, no need to soak them beforehand. This straightforward recipe results in delightful biscuits that pair wonderfully with tea or coffee.
Scattering currants over the biscuit dough and rolling them between the layers causes the currants to get squished and peek through the top, creating the quirky ‘squashed flies’ appearance.
This simple process is all it takes to create that signature Garibaldi appearance at home!
What is a Garibaldi?
The origin of Garibaldi Biscuits dates back to the 19th century, named after the famous Italian revolutionary, Giuseppe Garibaldi. Over the years, these biscuits have become a staple in many cultures, often served during tea time or as a comforting snack.
You might know them by their quirky nicknames like fly’s graveyard, ant cemetery, or squashed fly biscuits!
While these names might not sound very appetizing, they certainly describe the distinctive appearance of what are more commonly known as Garibaldi biscuits.
What is a Squashed Fly Biscuit
A Squashed Fly Biscuit is also known as a Garibaldi biscuit. With the currants being squashed between the two layers of dough, the embedded fruit resembles squashed flies, giving the biscuit its nickname.
Can I Substitute the Currants in a Garibaldi Biscuit?
Yes, you can substitute the currants typically used in Garibaldi biscuits with other dried fruits like raisins, sultanas, or chopped dates to suit your taste or based on what you have available.
What is the Best Way to Serve Garibaldi Biscuits?
Garibaldi biscuits are perfect as a snack on their own or paired with tea or coffee. They also make a great accompaniment to a cheese board due to their sweet and savory flavor profile.
Expert Tips
- For optimal dough texture, start with chilled, cubed butter. This keeps it from softening too quickly and blending unevenly with the flour, ensuring a crisp, not soggy, result.
- For perfectly uniform garibaldi biscuits, trim the dough’s edges before cutting. Save those trimmings for a bonus batch, and bake separately until golden brown for a tasty treat.
- Use an egg wash to achieve that golden hue that can’t be replicated with milk. Don’t forget the sprinkle of sugar for a delightful crunch!
How to Store Garibaldi Biscuits
Store: Keep completely cooled biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Freeze: Wrap each biscuit individually, place in a freezer bag, expel air, seal, and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, unwrap and let the garibaldi biscuits thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
Best Biscuit Recipes
- Chocolate Garibaldi Biscuits
- Best Shortbread Biscuits
- Homemade Chocolate Wheatens
- Melting Moments
- Yo Yo Biscuits
If you enjoy this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️ star rating and a comment review below. I love to hear what you think and it’s much appreciated. Thank you! Your email address will not be published. Sam x
Garibaldi Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups (300g) all-purpose flour, scoop & leveled
- 1/3 cup golden or white caster sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 130 g unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
- 6 Tbsp whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups currants
- 1 small egg
- 1/2 Tbsp whole milk
- 1-2 Tbsp golden or white caster sugar, to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Line a large baking tray with baking paper and set aside.
- In a high-speed food processor, add flour, sugar and baking powder. Pulse a couple of times to blend together.
- Add chilled cubed butter. Pulse for 15 seconds until mixture resembles coarse crumb.
- Through the vertical shoot, drizzle a tablespoon at a time of the milk then pulse the mixture. Once all six tablespoons of milk have been added, keep pulsing mixture until it begins to stick together into a rough dough, not a solid ball of dough (refer to images above). If the dough is still too dry, add a little more milk until it comes/sticks together.
- Turn dough onto a lightly floured bench top or large board. Bring together to a ball of dough, you may need to knead it a little. Then flatten it out into a rough thick rectangle shape.
- Sprinkle flour under the dough again and on the rolling pin, enough flour as the dough can stick to the surface.
- Roll dough out to a large rectangle, 4mm in thickness and measuring 40cm in length and 30cm in width (15 inch x 11 inch).
- Sprinkle currants over one half of dough, I used the top half (refer to above images for step by step). Spread currants out to the edges.
- Fold other half of dough up and over the currants, matching up the edges evenly.
- Flour under dough and rolling pin. Roll dough out to a large rectangle again, measuring about 35cm in length and about 25cm in width (13 inch x 9 inch) and about 4mm in thickness.
- Trim edges using a long sharp knife. The finished rectangle should measure about 30cm in length and 20cm in width (11 inch x 7 inch).
- Take a fork and lightly prick the dough all over, the fork doesn’t have to go completely through the dough, just prick the surface.
- With that same knife, evenly slice the dough down the middle, lengthways, to create two rectangle pieces.
- Slice into long biscuits measuring about 10cm in length and 4cm in width (4 inch x 1.5 inch).
- Carefully pick up and transfer biscuits to lined baking tray. Leaving a small gab between each.
- In a small mixing bowl whisk together egg and milk.
- Using a pastry brush, brush each biscuit with a light layer of egg wash.
- Sprinkle each with some caster sugar.
- Bake for 10 minutes then rotate tray and bake for a further 10-12 minutes until light-medium golden all over.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on tray for 5 minutes.
- Carefully transfer biscuits to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve and enjoy!
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Notes
Nutrition
it is a VERY good recipe, thank you.
Hi Beti, thank you so much!! I appreciate your kind words. I’m happy to hear you loved these Garibaldi biscuits! Kindest, Sam x
can I use GF flour to make them?
Hi Linda, I haven’t personally tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but I would recommend trying a baking gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. Use the same quantity as the recipe calls for regular flour. Keep in mind that results may vary slightly in texture and flavor due to the nature of gluten-free flour. If you do try it, I’d love to hear about your results! Kindest, Sam
i used dried cranberries and a bit less milk. the dough was easy to work with, i cut it up and moved to the baking tray using bench scraper. since i live in the tropics i put the cookies in the freezer for about an hour to firm up before baking. it is a good recipe, thank you.
Hi Dots! I’m so happy to hear your garibaldi biscuits were a success! I love that you used dried cranberries, what a wonderful and tasty alternative. Glad they worked with the added chilling time in the freezer, thanks for sharing your tip. Sam x
Made these with chopped dried cranberries and they were delicious (I didn’t have any currants!). Much better than the UK shop-bought ones! Even my hubby, who dislikes all currants/raisins/sultanas/cranberries tried one and said they were ‘dangerously tasty’!
Hi Clarissa! The addition of cranberries sounds amazing! So happy you made and enjoyed these Garibaldi’s and that your hubby loved them too! I’ll have to try the cranberries instead of the currants myself next time 🙂 Thanks for sharing! Sam x
Hi! Thank you for the recipe–I made it today. That was my first attempt at Garibaldi biscuits. Mine turned out nice, but they could’ve been better. I ran out of AP flour and used about 2/5 sprouted whole wheat flour; I only had plant-based milk on hand, and I think they would have been nicer but for those two things. I do think that if I made a sugar syrup and briefly cooked the currants, and then got most of the liquid out of them, that it would have made them nicer to bite into. I’ll try them again when I get some moo-milk and AP flour. Having said all that, they were scrummy with tea this afternoon! Thanks again 🙂
Add 1/2 tsp. of salt to the dough, and this is a perfect recipe. So yummy with a cup of tea.