Fruit Biscuits are also known as Tutti Frutti Cookies. These are crispy, yummy, eggless and made with whole wheat flour, candied papaya, sugar, vanilla, butter and milk. To make bakery style Karachi Biscuits, simply replace the whole wheat flour with all-purpose flour and use ¼ teaspoon of mixed fruit essence.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 45 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 65 minutes
  • Yield: 60 · 60 Fruit Biscuits
  • Category: Desserts
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 240 grams whole wheat flour
  • 140 grams butter (or ¾ cup softened butter, unsalted or salted)
  • 100 grams raw sugar ((or white sugar) or ½ cup sugar or ½ cup powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or ½ teaspoon vanilla essence)
  • 35 to 40 grams tutti frutti (or 4 to 5 tablespoons tutti frutti (candied papaya))
  • 3 to 4 tablespoon milk (or add as required)
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons butter (- for greasing the baking tray)
  • ¼ teaspoon mixed fruit essence (- optional and if making Karachi Bakery style fruit biscuits)

Method

Making Dough

  1. Firstly take the sugar in a dry grinder or mixer-grinder or spice-grinder.
  2. Grind to a fine powder and set aside. You can also use ½ cup confectioner' sugar or powdered sugar instead.
  3. Grease a baking tray with some butter.
  4. In a mixing bowl take the softened butter and powdered sugar.
  5. With an electric beater, cream the butter and sugar till the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
  6. On a medium speed, it took me about 4 to 5 minutes to cream the butter and sugar till smooth, fluffy and light.
  7. Add vanilla extract or vanilla essence. You can also use ½ teaspoon green cardamom powder or ¼ teaspoon nutmeg powder, if you do not have vanilla extract. Also rose essence or extract can be added. In fact you can add any fruit extract or essence. If using any fruit or spice essence, add ¼ teaspoon of it.
  8. Fold the vanilla extract with the creamed mixture.
  9. Next directly sift the whole wheat flour directly in the bowl containing the creamed butter and sugar. You can also sift the flour in a plate and then add. Instead of whole wheat flour, you can also use all purpose flour or maida or half-half of both the flours.
  10. Now add 3 to 4 tablespoons of milk. Depending on quality of flour you may need to add more or less milk. The milk helps in binding and to get the mixture together in a dough.
  11. Begin to gently mix with your hands and gather the whole mixture in a dough. Do not knead.
  12. The mixture should be able to come together and hold easily. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons more of the milk if the cookie mixture is not able to come together in a dough.

Assembling and Shaping

  1. Preheat oven for 15 to 20 minutes 180 degrees C/356 degrees F.
  2. If the dough has become to soft too handle, keep it covered in a bowl or wrap in cling-film and place in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes.
  3. Roll the dough gently having a thickness of 0.5 cm.
  4. Sprinkle the tutti frutti evenly on the rolled cookie dough.
  5. With the rolling pin, gently press the tutti frutti so that they get embedded in the dough.
  6. With a biscuit cutter, cut the cookie slices.
  7. Gently remove them and place on the greased baking tray.

Baking Fruit Biscuits

  1. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven at 180 degrees C/356 degrees F for 15-20 mins till the tops become light golden.
  2. Keep the baking tray with the cookies on the center rack with both the top and bottom heating elements on.For convection ovens, use the preheating and baking temperature of 165 to 170 degrees C/329 to 338 degrees F.
  3. Since oven temperatures vary, it may takes less or more time. So do keep a check.
  4. Bake till the cookies are a light or pale golden. Do not over bake them as then they will become chewy or hard.
  5. The base should also be light golden to golden.
  6. After a minute, place them on a wired rack. Let them cool at room temperature. Once cooled, store them in an air-tight box or jars.
  7. Serve these cookies as a sweet snack or tea time snack.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.