Betefour (Egyptian piped butter biscuits)
بيتي فور (betefour): Cairo's piped butter rosettes, sandwiched with jam or dipped in chocolate
Egyptians took the French name petit four and made it their own: betefour are crumbly piped butter biscuits sold by the kilo at Cairo patisseries and baked at home by the tray before Eid and family visits. The dough is soft enough to pipe into rosettes and fingers, then they are sandwiched with apricot jam or half-dipped in dark chocolate. Serve with tea. The mistake that ruins them is cold butter: it won't pipe, and the bag splits; beat it until it's as soft as mayonnaise. Chef's tip: chill the piped trays for 15 minutes before baking so the ridges stay sharp. Contains milk, egg and wheat.
- Total time
- 47 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the biscuits
- 7 oz unsalted buttervery soft
- 2 ⅞ oz icing sugar
- 1 eggroom temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 10 oz plain flour
- 1 oz cornflour
- ½ tsp baking powder
To finish
- 3 ½ oz apricot jam
- 3 ½ oz dark chocolatemelted
- ⅔ oz pistachios (optional)finely chopped
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Beat 7 oz unsalted butter and 2 ⅞ oz icing sugar with an electric mixer for 4–5 minutes until pale and fluffy.
5 minStep 2: Beat in 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract until smooth.
2 minStep 3: Sift in 10 oz plain flour, 1 oz cornflour and ½ tsp baking powder and mix just until a soft dough forms that holds a ridge. Don't overwork it.
3 minStep 4: Spoon into a piping bag with a large open star nozzle and pipe rosettes and 6 cm fingers onto lined trays, 3 cm apart. Chill the trays for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 5: Bake at 350°F (325°F fan) until the edges and bases are just golden and the tops still pale. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then on a rack.
12 minStep 6: Sandwich pairs of rosettes with a little 3 ½ oz apricot jam. Dip one end of each finger in 3 ½ oz dark chocolate, sprinkle with ⅔ oz pistachios and leave on baking paper until set.
10 minStep 7: Store in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does betefour (Egyptian piped butter biscuits) take?
- About 47 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 12 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of unsalted butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of icing sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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