Cornish Fairings
Cornish Fairings are a delicious, soft, ginger biscuit or cookie with a pretty and distinctive crackled top. They’re easy to make, so a great bake for kids and beginner bakers to try.
Cornish Fairings are a delicious ginger biscuit. They’re soft and chewy with a pretty crackly top, the perfect snack to have with your afternoon tea.
Cornish Fairings are a traditional British biscuit. The term ‘fairing’ comes from the name for edible treats sold at fairs around England with the ginger flavoured Cornish Fairing becoming more widely popular during Victorian times.
We tried some while on holiday this summer so I couldn’t wait to try and recreate our own ginger fairings.
They’re such a delicious biscuit with a sweet, gingery flavour. They’re also a really hands on bake so they’re great for kids.
How can kids help to make Cornish Fairings?
This recipe is a great hands on one so it’s great for kids. As well as measuring out all the ingredients your kids can help with rubbing it all in with their fingers, which is a great fun, tactile job my kids always enjoy.
Making the biscuits themselves is also a fun job for kids as they get to roll the biscuits out with their hands. There’s no need for rolling pins or cutters so it’s a nice and simple job.
How long do Cornish Fairings keep?
These will keep in an air tight container for a few days. You can also freeze these for a few months if you wrap them individually in cling film / glad wrap and keep them in a freezer bag.
Similar recipes
If you liked these Cornish Fairings you’ll love some of our other traditional biscuits/cookies
Shrewsbury biscuits
Lebkuchen
Gingerbread men
Rock cakes
Empire biscuits
Melting moments
Chocolate crinkle cookies
Snickerdoodles
Ginger cake
Ginger biscuits
Custard creams
Bourbon biscuits
Raisin biscuits
Useful equipment
You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make these fork biscuits:
Digital scales
Baking tray
Measuring cups
Wooden spoons
Measuring spoons
Wire rack
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Ingredients
100g (½ cup) butter
100g (½ cup) caster sugar
200g (1 2/3 cups) plain / all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
4 tablespoons (87g) golden syrup
3 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
How to make Cornish Fairings
Preheat your oven to 180C / 160C Fan / 350F and line 2 baking trays with baking or greaseproof paper.
Rub the butter into the flour
Get your kids to measure the flour out and put it in a large mixing bowl. Add the baking powder and bicarbonate of soda to your bowl. Make sure your kids use their finger to level the teaspoon with their finger so you add just the right amount.
Next, measure the butter and get your kids to cut it into small pieces. This is a good job for kids who want to practice their cutting skills as they can do it with a blunt/butter knife.
Now, using your fingers rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the sugar and spices
Get your kids to measure the sugar and spices out and add them to your mixing bowl. Mix them in.
Add the golden syrup
Finally, get your kids to measure out the golden syrup into a small bowl. Pop it in the microwave for ten seconds or so, or heat it gently on the hob until it has warmed. Add it to your bowl and use a wooden spoon to mix it in.
Keep mixing your biscuit/cookie mixture until it comes together in a nice dough. You might need to use your hands to help bring it all together.
Bake the Cornish Fairings
Take small pieces of dough and roll them into balls the size of a walnut. You’ll get roughly 16 balls from the mixture. I normally, give my kids the pieces of dough and get them to roll them so the biscuits end up a consistent size.
Pop the Cornish Fairings on the prepared baking trays, leaving a gap between each one. Gently press down on each one just to flatten them slightly.
Bake the Cornish Fairings for 8-10 minutes. They’re ready when they have started to turn a nice golden brown colour and have crackled on top.
Remove them from the oven and leave them on the baking trays to cool for a few minutes before putting them on a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve and enjoy!
Cornish Fairings
Equipment
- Digital scales
- baking tray
- Measuring cups
- Wooden spoons
- measuring spoons
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- 100 g (½ cup) butter
- 100 g (½ cup) caster sugar
- 200 g (1 ⅔ cups) plain / all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda baking soda
- 4 tablespoons (87g) golden syrup
- 3 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180C / 160C Fan / 350F and line 2 baking trays with baking or greaseproof paper.
Rub the butter into the flour
- Measure the flour out and put it in a large mixing bowl. Add the baking powder and bicarbonate of soda to your bowl. Next, measure the butter and cut it into small pieces.
- Now, using your fingers rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the sugar and spices
- Measure the sugar and spices out and add them to your mixing bowl. Mix them in.
Add the golden syrup
- Finally, measure out the golden syrup into a small bowl. Pop it in the microwave for ten seconds or so, or heat it gently on the hob until it has warmed. Add it to your bowl and use a wooden spoon to mix it in.
- Keep mixing your biscuit/cookie mixture until it comes together in a nice dough. You might need to use your hands to help bring it all together.
Bake the Cornish Fairings
- Take small pieces of dough and roll them into balls the size of a walnut. You'll get roughly 16 balls from the mixture. Pop the Cornish Fairings on the prepared baking trays, leaving a gap between each one. Gently press down on each one just to flatten them slightly.
- Bake the Cornish Fairings for 8-10 minutes. They're ready when they have started to turn a nice golden brown colour and have crackled on top.
- Remove them from the oven and leave them on the baking trays to cool for a few minutes before putting them on a wire rack to cool completely.
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