New to Van Clarke? Subscribe to our newsletter for 15% off your first order. Start your haircare journey today.

Gaby's Bakery - Garibaldi Biscuits (AKA Squashed Flies)

June 01, 2022

Gaby's Bakery - Garibaldi Biscuits (AKA Squashed Flies)

Also known as the 'dead fly biscuit' or 'fly sandwich', this week's recipe is a trip back to childhood, as my Grandmother used to bring these out for me and my twin sister. We devoured them and even though our friendly aunt also owned a sweet shop, we managed to keep our teeth. So I'm replaying my family patterns with Jack and James, except they do get their toothbrushes out shortly after.

Garibaldi biscuits are a sort of currant sandwich with two pieces of thin biscuit dough around the fruit spread. Invented by Jonathan Carr (of Carr's Water Biscuits) for Peek Freans in 1861 after the Italian Revolutionary visited Newcastle, they've been a mainstay of the British biscuit tin ever since.

Garibaldi Biscuits

Ingredients:
140g self-raising flour
55g chilled unsalted butter
80g currants
40g caster sugar
2 - 2½ tbsp milk
Pinch of salt
1 egg (for egg wash)
Granulated sugar to sprinkle

Method:
Preheat oven to 160⁰ C (fan), line 1 large baking tray with parchment paper.

Put the flour, butter and salt in a mixing bowl and rub with finger tips until you get a bread crumb consistency. Mix in the caster sugar and then gradually mix in the milk, you only need enough to make a firm dough, it shouldn’t be too wet.

Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll out into a large rectangle about 4mm thick. Cut this evenly in half and sprinkle the currants over just one of the two rectangles. Then place the plain dough on top of the one with currants on and roll out again so you have a rectangle appx. 20 x 30cms and 4mm thick. Trim the edges and cut this into fingers appx. 3 x 7cm. Place the biscuits onto the baking tray. Using a fork, prick them all over, then brush with a little egg wash and sprinkle with the granulated sugar.

Place in the oven and bake for appx.12 mins, until lightly golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy.


 Gaby Van Clarke




Also in Blogs

What's The Diamond Dry Cut?
What's The Diamond Dry Cut?

September 12, 2025

Imagine your hair doing what it’s supposed to. Moving effortlessly and falling back in to shape. Day in day out...

Continue Reading

In the Chair - Real People Real Hair - Emily
In the Chair - Real People Real Hair - Emily

September 12, 2025

Emily had relied on extensions for thicker and longer hair. She’d taken them out just before visiting me, and as is often the case, they'd put a strain on her own hair which was quite broken and depleted. Emily’s hair was thick and healthy enough at the roots to grow long if it was cared for properly, but now the ends

Continue Reading

Gaby's (No-Bake) Bakery
Gaby's (No-Bake) Bakery

September 11, 2025

Here’s one to confuse your taste buds. Normally you’d expect to bite through the soft filling, in this case soft apple oozing with cinnamon nutmeg and sultana flavours, whilst preparing to hit the biscuity or flaky case...

Continue Reading