Biscuit dough - what went wrong?

[TeresaFoodie]

Friday evening I made a chocolate ginger biscuit dough from 'Favourite Chocolate Recipes' by Salmon. The plan was, make the dough, cool then roll, cut and bake next morning to take freshly baked biscuits on a weekend away with my dad to his brother's.

The recipe:

In a bowl sieve together 4oz flour, 1tbsp cocoa powder, 1/4tsp bicarb soda, 2tsp ground ginger. In a pan over a low heat melt 2oz butter with 1&1/2tbsp golden syrup. Once melted, dissolve in 2oz sugar. Combine wet with dry. Beat well. Cool. I wrapped the dough and left it on the side and then bed called so I popped it in the fridge. Next morning, no amount of leaving it at room temperature has made this pliable enough to roll.

Someone said the sugar may have crystallized in the fridge?

Shall I microwave it for a few seconds to soften? Or is it doomed?

[suffolk]

Try rolling it into a sausage and slicing it then baking the slices. That’s what I’d try. Good luck.

[scullion]

can it be squeezed into a log/sausage shape and slice into discs from the length of that?
i can't say anything about crystallising sugar but next time i'd roll it into a sausage before chilling.

[scullion]

snap!

[TeresaFoodie]

I should have made a sausage shape out of it, but even if I'd done that, I can't get a knife through it.

[suffolk]

Scully

[suffolk]

How long have you got? Enough time to rustle up some scones and pop the dough into the freezer to play with later?

[TeresaFoodie]

There is no urgent rush for the dough as I am back home now and it is back in my fridge. It was only a short stay away. I might give it a blast in the microwave shortly, roll it then freeze it. I'll label it too or I'll forget what it is...

[scullion]

reading the recipe, could it be that the sugar/syrup/butter mix was a bit hot for the dry ingredients when you added them and 'cooked' the flour mix? maybe your best bet would be to break some bits off the lump, roll into balls (if possible), flatten and bake them like that.
if those don't do it you might as well chuck the lot.
i have a rather nice (easy and reliable) chocolate and vanilla biscuit recipe you can have - which will probably adapt ok to chocolate and ginger, if you want it.

[TeresaFoodie]

It could be the wet was too hot scully, never thought of that.

I whacked the whole block in the microwave for about a minute and a small piece fell off when I prodded it. So the rest of the lump has gone back into the freezer and the small piece has been squashed into a small roundall (one biscuit's worth) and put in the fridge and will bake next time I have the oven on. If it tastes rough the bin gets it.

I would love your recipe. Yes please!

[scullion]

i've resurrected the ancient biscuit thread and put it on there for you.
i'm sure you can put ground ginger instead of the vanilla essence - or just play with the recipe how you think fit. enjoy.