Lime & White Chocolate Biscuits

Our holidays usually revolve around great food and beautiful restaurants, and our trip last Winter to the Hawke's Bay was no exception. My favourite restaurant was the stunning Pipi Cafe, in Havelock North. Simple, delicious italian-inspired food with a good Pinot Noir was thouroughly enjoyed, at a bright pink candle-lit table. I was so enamored I bought the owner, Alexandra Tylee's, cookbook of the same name, which she signed for me as we paid the bill.

I very quickly decided that Lime & White Chocolate biscuits would be the first thing to be made, but it has been no mean feat trying to find the required Lime oil. A few weeks ago I finally found some in Cambridge at Dante's Fine Foods, and also picked up some Equagold White Chocolate bits. If you are in Cambridge, Dante's is worth a look - the owner Vicki is super lovely and very knowledgeable, and their Tea Total selection is pretty impressive too.

So, back to the biscuits. Easy to make, easy to ice, and they taste and look delicious. Lime & white chocolate is an amaaaaazing combination. If you see this book around, don't hesitate -  it's a beautiful read and full of comforting flavours.

Lime & White Chocolate Biscuits - from Pipi, The Cookbook, by Alexandra Tylee

For the Biscuits (makes approx. 20)

125g butter, softened
1/4 cup caster sugar
3 tablespoons condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup white chocolate, cut into chunks ( I used Equagold White Choco-lettes)
1/4 tsp Lime Oil (or more, to taste) - available from Sabato or Dante's

For the icing:

125g (half a block) of white chocolate
knob of butter
zest of 1 lime (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

For the biscuits, cream the butter, sugar, condensed milk and vanilla together until thick and creamy. Beat in the lime oil. Mix the flour and baking powder together, then fold into the butter mixture.

Roll the mixture into balls and put them on the tray. Squash them with a fork, but don't make them too flat.

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until just lightly golden.

For the icing, break up the chocolate and melt in short bursts in the microwave, or in a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Add, the butter, mix together until all melted and smooth, and spoon into a small ziplock or plastic bag. Snip off the corner, and pipe lines freely across the biscuits. Using a microplane, finely zest a lime over the top of the un-set icing, and place biscuits in the fridge for a short while to set the icing.