Mrs Beeton's widely known 1861
recipe book includes two early recipes for rock biscuits. One calls for flour, butter, 'moist sugar' (
muscovado), lemon, milk, and baking powder. The other recipe more closely resembles
shortbread, as it uses flour, butter, and currants but no leavening agent. A typical modern recipe for 12 cakes requires about 8 oz (225
g) of
flour, 1
teaspoon of
baking powder, 4 oz (110 g) of
butter or
margarine, 2 oz (55 g) of
sugar, 4 oz (110 g) of
dried fruit such as
raisins,
candied orange peel, etc., 2 oz (55g) of
currants, 1 beaten
egg, 1 to 3
tablespoons of
milk and a pinch of
nutmeg and
mixed spices. Usually, flour and butter are first mixed until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs; then the other ingredients are added to create a stiff dough, which is dropped from a
spoon to a baking tray or roughly formed with two forks. The cakes (optionally sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon) are baked for about 15 minutes at 180
°C (350°F; Regulo 4), retaining an uneven form and contour. Variations include the
Jamaican rock cake, which is similar, but usually includes grated
coconut, and the traditional British rock cake, which contains oatmeal. ==See also==