Our local bakery stopped making a favorite of mine: a tea biscuit. I realize that in the British Isles, a biscuit is what we in the States call a cookie. Not so, with this biscuit. This Tea Biscuit is a yeast-raised bun similar to a Hot Cross Bun, with a slightly less cake like texture and raisins rather than candied citron. Oh, and the Tea Biscuits are round rather than square like Hot Cross Buns and haven't any icing or glaze. And the tops are probably brushed with water before baking to give them a bit of a shine.
Since I don't want to do without such a treat, I am currently casting about to find a recipe that is close [exact would be better]. My first stop was my go-to book for all tea time treats: The Afternoon Tea Book by Michael Smith. Copyrighted 1986. Hailing from the north of England, Mr. Smith wrote of childhood teas, afternoon tea with just the family and teatimes of a more lavish sort, tea at the Ritz. His book is part memoir, part history of tea lore and part cookbook. But alas, nothing like a tea biscuit was in his recipe section. His recipe for Plain Christmas Cake may be adaptable. I shall have to try it out: first as directed and then as modified by me. At least, I shall have to give it a go if I don't find anything else better suited to my needs.
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