Arrange savoury biscuits in a pretty circle around your chosen cheese for a decorative centrepiece and alternative cheeseboard.

 

Ingredients:

  • 300g plain flour , plus extra for rolling
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 85g butter , diced
  • 2 tsp fennel seed , plus extra to sprinkle
  • 2 tsp poppy seed , plus extra to sprinkle
  • splash of milk

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line one baking sheet with parchment. Place the flour, baking powder, butter, fennel and poppy seeds with ½ tsp salt in a food processor, then whizz for a minute until the butter is completely mixed with the flour. Add 100ml water and pulse until the mixture comes together to a firm dough that’s not sticky – you may need another tbsp or so of water, if it still feels.
  2. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface as thinly as you can. Stamp out lots of different sized circles using a selection of round and fluted biscuit cutters of 4cm, 5cm and 6cm diameter. Brush a little milk over the surface of the biscuits, and prick all over with a fork. Start to arrange in a circle on the baking sheet, overlapping each other. If you want to serve a cheese in the centre, check that it will fit. Scatter over a few more fennel and poppy seeds and bake for 15 – 20 mins until the biscuits feel dry and sandy with a slightly golden colour around the edges – they may still feel soft but will harden up when cooling. Cool on the baking sheet. Serve with cheese & chutney. Will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.