Once nicknamed ‘squashed fly biscuits’, Garibaldis carry the unmistakable flavour of childhood memories. — Photos: LEONG WAI YEE/The Star
OUR culinary preferences are often shaped by the foods placed before us when we were small, proffered by parents, grandparents and other elders.
I was never particularly fond of raisins when young, while my sister adored them.
Yet somehow, I devoured Garibaldi biscuits without complaint, blissfully unaware that Garibaldis, also called “squashed fly biscuits”, were essentially compressed raisins sandwiched between pastry.
Garibaldis are biscuits made with soft raisins squashed in between crispy buttery pastry.
Their vaguely familiar taste puzzled me, though my grandmother suggested that perhaps I simply disliked the flavour of flies.
Only years later did I learn what these biscuits contained, and even later, that it wasn’t raisins themselves I disliked, but rather old, rancid ones.
I’ve never been a fussy eater and will gamely try anything new.
So when I read about the Garibaldi’s entertaining origins and its long history as a Christmas staple, I seized the chance to revisit a childhood treat.
Simmer the raisins with orange juice until they soften and plump up, then lay out on kitchen towel to dry.
With fresh ingredients and good butter, the homemade version genuinely transformed my perception of the humble raisin biscuit.
The Garibaldi biscuit was named after Giuseppe Garibaldi, the celebrated Italian general and revolutionary, who helped unify the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.
The treat was created during his visit to England in 1854.
A persistent and very British legend claims it was invented when he accidentally sat on two biscuits and squashed the fruit between them. Charming, yes. Proven? Not remotely.
Spread a layer of raisins over one rectangle, overlay with the other rectangle, then chill and roll again into a larger rectangle. Cut into bars and prick with a fork.
Unlike most biscuits, Garibaldi dough is made using the rub-in method, similar to pie pastry.
It must be chilled, rolled out and layered with softened raisins that have been simmered gently in orange juice until plump.
Once sandwiched and pressed, the dough is trimmed, cut and baked into thin, crisp bars.
If you’ve never tasted a homemade Garibaldi, this is a charming little bake to add to your Christmas repertoire.
This recipe makes a small batch of two dozen, ideal for keeping them crisp, especially with the moisture-laden filling.
Garibaldi biscuits
Biscuit dough
125g self-raising flour
25g castor sugar
75g cold unsalted butter
¼ tsp salt
1 large egg, separated
1 tbsp cold water
Filling
100g raisins
½ cup orange juice or water
Directions
Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Mix in the sugar. Add the egg yolk and water, stirring with a table knife until a firm dough forms.
Gently knead into a ball, divide into two portions, flatten into discs, wrap and chill for 20 minutes.
Place the raisins in a small pan with the orange juice.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes until the fruit softens. Drain and spread on kitchen paper to cool and dry.
Heat the oven to 180°C. Lightly flour the work surface.
Roll each portion of dough into a 18cmx15cm rectangle, about 3mm thick. Brush one rectangle with egg white and scatter the raisins evenly.
Top with the second rectangle and chill for 5 minutes.
Roll the layered dough to a 20cmx18cm rectangle. Chill again for 5 minutes. Measure with a ruler to cut into 24 biscuits of 2.5cmx6cm each.
Prick all over with a fork and arrange the biscuits on a lined baking tray. Brush with more egg white and bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly golden.
Cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
