Recipe for biscuits

[ZuleikaJambiere]

Having failed spectacularly to make biscuits for the Christmas tree, as they merged into one giant, crispy biscuit on the baking tray, I found a new recipe to try out our Easter cookie cutters on. And yet again, they've merged into one giant, crispy biscuit. I am cross and DD is gutted as she wanted to decorate some chicks and rabbits. Can you help me with a recipe that will hold it's shape when cooked, or tell me where I'm going wring (rolling too thick/thin, oven too hot/cool)
Thank you

Biscuit dough can spread out a lot when you cook it -try leaving a bigger space between the individual 'blobs'
Do they, well your giant biscuit, come out crisp and golden after the stated cooking time? If it needs longer it may be worth buying an oven thermometer to see if your oven is cooking cool, but that in itself should not make themixture spread further

Thanks, I think the oven temp is right, so I just need more space on the baking tray (or stick to cake, in contained tins!)

IME the biscuits that hold their shape well are the less interesting recipes.
Nige has a recipe specifically for using with cutters:

175g soft butter
200g caster sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
400g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1tsp salt

cream the butter and sugar, add eggs and vanilla. mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, then stir in the butter etc.

halve the dough, flatten into 2 discs and rest in the fridge for an hour.

roll to a thickness of 1/2cm, and cut
bake for 8-12 minutes until golden at the edges. cool and ice!

I'll give that recipe a try CBS! Thanks. I agree that the biscuits are less interesting, but it has become a personal mission of mine now to Solve This Problem. I am turning into a woman possessed

Perhaps reduce the butter or syrup in the recipe. Another way would be to make the mixture more 'solid' by adding a little more flour. That way it wouldn't spread so much. Perhaps.

What was the recipe you were using?

Our best efforts have been with a Nigella recipe -i think from rainy day book

Toddler and I have had success with the 1-2-3 recipe found on MN, even tho I can't find it here now.
1 measure of sugar, 2 measures of Butter, and 3 measures of plain flour. I tend to do 2oz, 4oz, 6oz.
Cream Butter (not marg) and sugar, then mix in flour. Kneed slightly to bring together, and roll out. Cook 180C for 10-12 mins

I have also had success with adding cocoa in place of some of the flour, or some ground ginger, so I'm sure you could add other flavours.

Thanks for the suggestions - I will work through them all to find my definitive biscuit recipe . The 1-2-3 recipe sounds wonderfully simple

My Christmas attempt was from a book by Amy Willcock (I think) and was supposed to be for biscuits to hang on the Christmas tree, I was convinced that'd work as the whole point of that recipe was to look nice. And my most recent attempt was the recipe on the pack of biscuit cutters. Both big failures. Fortunately DD1 is an avid baker herself, so will be happy joining me on my quest to make the perfect shape biscuits