Arrowroot Biscuits

Arrowroot is a starch derived from various South American plants; it became very popular in the Victorian era both as a health food and as a thickening agent. Its great advantage is that it does not make sauces cloudy when used as a thickener, and it was often recommended in place of cornflour (corn starch) or beurre manié (cold butter and flour mixed together). This was probably deemed a healthy recipe in the 19th century, although the nutritional value of arrowroot