Magnolia, Lemon & Honey Biscuits

Magnolia trees may look beautiful, but did you know you can actually eat them too? Long loved by herbalists, the flowers are thought to boast anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety and antioxidant properties, with a flavour that sits somewhere between ginger and cardamom, making them a natural fit for baking. They also bring something a little unexpected to the usual ingredient list, giving any spring recipe a touch more intrigue. Just be mindful of where you source your flowers: unsprayed and grown away from roads or pollutants is always best, and rinse thoroughly before cooking.

By Grounded

Serves 1214 mins
Magnolia, Lemon & Honey Biscuits

laura adai/Unsplash

Ingredients

  • 180g spelt flour
  • 40g ground almonds
  • 60g organic butter or coconut oil, softened
  • 2 tbsp raw honey
  • 1 egg
  • 6–8 fresh magnolia petals, finely chopped
  • Zest of ½ lemon
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • Pinch sea salt
  • 1–2 tbsp milk (15–30ml), if needed

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan) and line a baking tray with parchment.
  2. In a bowl, cream together the butter and honey until soft and smooth.
  3. Beat in the egg, lemon zest and chopped magnolia petals.
  4. In a separate bowl mix the spelt flour, ground almonds, baking powder and sea salt.
  5. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture to form a soft dough, adding a little milk if needed.
  6. Roll the dough into small balls and gently flatten onto the tray.
  7. Bake for 12–14 minutes until lightly golden at the edges.
  8. Cool on a rack before serving.

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