Why might eggs and butter be added ingredients to biscuit dough?

• Traditional baking

Eggs and butter are two of the most fundamental ingredients within most baking. From cakes to biscuits, they are essential in the process of holding together your ingredients and adding flavor to your final product.

A simple biscuit mix will usually include butter, caster sugar, egg yolk and plain flour. Also you may wish to add vanilla extract and other ingredients for extra taste.

Follow these steps for a simple yet effective biscuit recipe:

• Put 250g of butter and 140g of caster sugar in a large bowl, and mix with a wooden spoon.

• Add a single egg yolk and if you wish a few drops of vanilla extract (around two tablespoons) for added flavor.

• Next sift 300g of plain flour into the mix, making sure the mixture is combined evenly and not too dry or lumpy. It is sometimes useful to use your hands to mix and kneed the dough together.

• Evenly place small amounts of the dough onto a baking tray, or alternatively use a cookie shape-cutter for more interesting designs.

• Cook for 12-15 minutes at 180C or gas mark 4, and allow to cool before eating.

To spice up your basic biscuit or cookie, you could also add ingredients such as cocoa and chocolate chips, as well as oatmeal, raisins and blueberries.

For further information on baking biscuits and other cakes or pastries why not try looking in a recipe book. These can be purchased from most book shops and online at amazon.com