Lime and pecan biscuits

I know I've raved on about finding the perfect biscuit recipe in the past, but I'm not joking this time. I really have happened upon it. Everyone in my immediate vicinity at home and work seems to agree so I have to be onto a good thing.

An article about chocolate chip cookies and the tricks of the trade to get the exact biscuit that you desire recently went viral. To achieve the perfect custom-made cookie the article guides you to ingredient heaven, such as self-raising flour for a chewier cookie, melted butter for a "you have been in the sun for too long" cookie or baking powder for a "gurl, you need to get more sun!" cookie, and so on and so forth.

I used some of these scientific techniques to come up with this lime and pecan cookie, which turned out to be more of biscuit. The difference? Transatlantic wording, is all. US have cookies, UK (and Australia) have biscuits.

The added bonus of these biscuits is that in the time it would otherwise take you to pull your jeans on, start the car, drive to the shops and buy a packet of your favourite arrowroots or the like, these biscuits could be hot out of the oven. And while you need to chill them for 30 minutes or more, they take 10 minutes to cook. So keep a supply of dough in your fridge or freezer handy for when unexpecteds drop in.

Lime and pecan biscuits

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Chilling time: 30 minutes

• 225g softened butter
• 150g caster sugar
• 250g self-raising flour
• grated rind of one lime
• 1 egg
• 100g roughly chopped pecans

In a mixer, combine butter and sugar and whisk and beat until fluffy and pale. Add flour, eggs and lime rind and beat until just combined. Add pecans and stir through with a wooden spoon.

Grab a handful of dough and place on a piece of grease-proof paper. Roll into a log shape, then cover with cling film and refrigerate until hard for about 30 minutes.

Slice the chilled biscuit dough into thin slices and lay on a baking sheet lined with grease proof paper. Bake in 180°C oven for 10 minutes, or until starting to brown. Allow the biscuits to cool and then then enjoy.