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Recipe

A Bite To Eat With Alice: 'Welcome' walnut biscuits

Prep time: 
15
Cook time: 
30
Skill level: 
Low
Serves: 
25
A plate of freshly baked walnut biscuits, each topped with a walnut half, served on a textured woven placemat.

Alice's gluten-and-dairy-free, spiced walnut biscuits are inspired by her guest Tony Tan himself. (ABC TV: Wesley Mitton)

Alice Zaslavsky is the host of A Bite To Eat with Alice, weeknights at 5pm on ABC TV and anytime on ABC iview. Alice is the resident culinary correspondent for ABC News Breakfast and ABC Radio, a food literacy advocate, bestselling cookbook author, and creator of Phenomenom, a free digital toolbox helping teachers slip more serves of veg into the curriculum.

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Tony Tan is a culinary icon, renowned for his expertise in global cuisines and his passion for sharing food knowledge. 

Two bowls of shelled walnuts on a wooden surface.

Freshly-shelled walnuts bring a rich, toasty depth to these 'Welcome' walnut biscuits. (ABC TV: Wesley Mitton)

In his cooking classes, he always welcomes guests with a freshly baked biscuit — so, when he joined Alice in the kitchen, she thought it only fitting to return the gesture with a biscuit inspired by Tony himself. 

Bowl of walnut biscuit dough being mixed with a wooden spoon.

The dough might seem crumbly at first, but keep mixing — it will come together beautifully. (ABC TV: Wesley Mitton)

These 'Welcome' walnut biscuits are a celebration of texture and warmth, combining toasted walnuts with a hint of five-spice for a subtly fragrant, melt-in-the-mouth treat. Gluten-free and dairy-free, they're the perfect way to make anyone feel at home.

Unbaked walnut biscuits arranged on a lined baking tray, each topped with a walnut half.

Pressing a walnut-half on top of each biscuit adds a classic touch and a satisfying crunch after baking. (ABC TV: Wesley Mitton)

Tips

  • Freshly shelled walnuts: If you have the time, shelling your own walnuts makes a huge difference in flavour and freshness.
  • No food processor? No problem: If you don't have a food processor, pre-purchased walnut meal works just as well.
  • No risk of overmixing: Since this recipe is gluten-free, you don’t have to worry about over-mixing the dough.
  • Crumbly dough? Don't stress: The mixture may seem crumbly, but the oil will bind everything together as it bakes.
  • Five-spice in a sweet dish: Traditionally a savoury spice blend, five-spice brings a subtle warmth and complexity to these biscuits.
  • Rotate for even-baking: Turn your trays halfway through baking to prevent uneven colouring, as most ovens have hot and cold spots.
  • Cooling is key: Let the biscuits cool completely before handling, as they will be fragile while warm.

Here's the full list of recipes from Season 2 of A Bite To Eat With Alice.

This recipe appears in A Bite to Eat with Alice, a new nightly cooking show on ABC iview and weeknights at 5pm on ABC TV.

A Bite To Eat With Alice: 'Welcome' walnut biscuits

Prep time: 
15
Cook time: 
30
Skill level: 
Low
Serves: 
25

Ingredients

Biscuits

  • 140g (1 cup) freshly-shelled walnuts (best to weigh — size of walnut pieces vary), plus 25 walnut halves for decorating 
  • 100g (½ cup) rice flour 
  • 200g (1⅓ cup) gluten-free flour 
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder 
  • ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 
  • ¼ teaspoon ground five-spice 
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt flakes 
  • 125ml (½ cup) neutral oil (such as rice bran or grapeseed) 
  • 55g (¼ cup) caster sugar  
  • 50g (¼ cup) brown sugar 
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten 

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C conventional (160°C fan-forced). Line 2 large ovenproof trays with baking paper. 
  2. To toast the walnuts, spread them over one of the baking trays and pop into the oven for about 8 minutes, until the nuts are lightly golden. Remove walnuts from the oven and set aside until cool enough to touch. Blitz toasted walnuts in a food processor until finely chopped.
  3. Sift the flours, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, five spice and salt flakes into a bowl. Add the blitzed walnuts and stir to combine. 
  4. In another large mixing bowl, whisk the oil and both sugars together to combine. Add the egg and continue to whisk to mix well. Add in the flour mix and, using a wooden spoon, stir into the wet ingredients until combined.  
  5. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls (apt!), you'll make about 25 of them. Press a walnut-half into each biscuit (but no need to flatten). Arrange the rolled biscuits on the prepared trays, about 3cm apart. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the trays around and bake for another 5 minutes, until golden brown. 
  6. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store biscuits in an air-tight container for up to a week. 
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