Native nutrition

Embrace the native bounty of our nation with Aunty Beryl’s legendary lemon myrtle butter biscuits.

There’s a pantry full of unique flavours that First Nations people have been utilising for thousands of years. In this recipe, we focus on just one that is considered the unsung hero of Australian native foods; Backhousia citriodora (also known as lemon myrtle). Not only is it high in antioxidants, but it also contains high concentrations of vitamin E, zinc, magnesium, and calcium.

Lemon myrtle has been a pillar in the diets of Indigenous Australians for over 40,000 years – traditionally used by wrapping the leaves in paperbark to flavour fish dishes and even to treat headaches. Today, we enjoy its flavour in all sorts of treats from cakes to cookies – just like this butter biscuit recipe.

Lemon myrtle butter biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups self-raising flour

1 tsp dried lemon myrtle

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

Method

Sift flour and dried lemon myrtle into a bowl.

Rub in butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Add sugar and beaten egg and mix into a stiff dough. Place onto a floured surface and knead gently until smooth.

Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 180°C.

Roll the dough out onto a floured surface until it is about 5mm thick. Use a small biscuit cutter or glass to cut circular biscuits.

Place on a greased baking tray and place in the oven for about 12-15 minutes until golden. Place on rack to cool. Enjoy!