I love Yoyos, they are my go-to bikky, and if I'm in a coffee shop will usually buy one.........if it's good maybe I'll buy two. After I made the delightfully delicious Daisy YoYos I thought I could get in the festive spirit and add a few spices in the dough. 

I'm happy to report they are delicious & very, very, moreish. 

These gorgeous biscuits make wonderful presents.

 

 This recipe was designed specifically to be made with Bakers' Magic gluten free flour. The finished baked product will not be the same if you use another gluten free flour and you will need to adjust the recipe, particularly if the flour you're using contains rice flour.

 

 Ingredients

Biscuit Base

Dry ingredients 

250 g Bakers' Magic Gluten free flour

50 g Maize starch

1/4 - 1/2 tsp Baking powder

1/8 tsp Salt

75 g Dark brown sugar

1.5 tsp Ginger (powder)

1.5 tsp Cinnamon (powder)

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

1/8 tsp Cloves

 

Wet ingredients 

150 g Butter (melted)

1 Egg

35 g Hot water

 

plus, an additional 150 g Butter (cold)

 

Brandy Icing 

200 g Icing sugar (sifted)

80g Butter (soft)

25 g Brandy

 

Extra Bakers' Magic flour for rolling out

Optional - Edible gold glitter

 

Maize starch = Cornflour from maize/corn and potato starch is sometimes labelled as potato flour. For more information go to Maize starch vs Cornflour.

 

  

Method

Biscuit Base

Mix together the dry ingredients. I usually blitz them together in a food processor. 

In another container melt 150 g of the butter.

Add the water & egg to the melted butter. Stir to combine. Don't let this mixture cool.

Pour the melted butter mix over the combined dry ingredients & stir to combine.

It can be mixed by hand, fork or wooden spoon. Mechanical devices can over mix the dough very easily, it is best done by hand.

At this stage the dough will feel slightly greasy. Wrap the dough in plastic clingwrap or put it in a plastic bag & store in the fridge/freezer for approximately 1 hour. The dough can be frozen at this stage.    

Cooling the dough is important - after cooling the butter is fully absorbed, flexibility is increased & the dough is easier to handle.

Bring the dough out of the fridge, it will be quite hard (If you wrapped the dough in clingwrap keep it, you'll be using it again).  Optional - Put the dough into a food processor to break up the dough. Process until the dough is approximately the size of tapioca pearls. 

Next bit is getting more butter into the dough. There are a couple of ways of doing this, mixing by hand (can be a bit messy), mixing in a food processor or stand mixer. It's easier if the butter is grated. 

Mix 150 g of grated butter into the dough.

Wrap the dough again and chill for another 30 minutes.  

Lightly dust a clean work surface (silicon mat, baking paper) with some of the extra Bakers' Magic Gluten free flour. 

Roll out the dough to approximately the size of an A4 piece of paper. 

Lightly dust the silicon mat, baking paper again with some of the extra Bakers' Magic Gluten free flour. Lightly dust the dough to stop it sticking to the surface.  

Fold the sides of the dough into the middle and then bring the ends into the middle as well. 

Repeat the rolling out & folding up (a couple of times). Doing this ensures a super flexible dough and an unbelievably delicious Yoyo. If any unmixed in butter is exposed & sticking to the mat, fold the dough over & roll out again. 

How do you know when the dough is ready? When it's super flexible - a bit like playdough. 

Roll out the dough to approximately 5 mm thick. I use spacers to make it easier to make bikkies all the same thickness.

Use shaped pastry cutters to cut the dough (I used a Christmas tree & star shapes). Transfer the shapes to a lined baking tray. The dough can be rerolled many times. The beauty of this technique is that it's getting you prepared to make some Yeasted Flaky pastry :). 

If it is getting a bit too soft, put it back in the fridge for a while. 

Bake the Yoyo halves at 160 - 170 C (fan forced) for approximately 15 to 20 min. The actual time & temperature will depend on the thickness of the dough & your oven. Use the lower temperature & bake for longer if your Yoyos are thicker than 5 mm. After 15 min in the oven, I usually break one in half, if the colour is all the same the biscuits are cooked (& of course that broken Yoyo half gets eaten). 

Bring the cooked Yoyo halves out of the oven and allow to completely cool before icing them. 

 

Brandy Icing

What type of icing you like will determine how you mix the ingredients. 

I slightly softened the butter & mixed all ingredients together in a food processor and used the icing immediately. 

Another option is to completely melt the butter and combine everything. 

Alternatively, you can cream the butter and sugar (slowly add the sugar in), when combined add in the brandy slowly. 

Whichever way you made the icing transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a small(ish) plain nozzle. 

Transfer half the yoyo bases to a tray & pipe little blobs (or not so little) on the base. 

Top with another Yoyo half.

Optional - Dust with edible gold glitter for a bit of sparkle. 

I usually store them in a large, but shallow, airtight container & put grease proof paper between the layers. 

Simply enjoy!