Empire Biscuits
A true Scottish favourite, Empire Biscuits are made with buttery biscuits, a layer of raspberry jam and a simple icing topping finished with a glacé cherry. This easy recipe recreates the classic bakery treat at home.
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Servings: 12 biscuits
INGREDIENTS
For the Biscuits
- 130 g Caster Sugar
- 250 g Block Margarine or Butter (at room temperature)
- 1 Free-range Egg (at room temperature; see Egg Size note below)
- 500 g Plain Flour
For the Decoration
- Strawberry Jam (or raspberry; seedless preferred)
- 200 g Icing Sugar
- 2-3 tsp Boiling Water
- Glacé Cherries or Jelly Tots
EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
For the Biscuits
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (or 160°C for a fan-assisted oven, Gas Mark 4 or 350°F). Line a couple of
baking trays withgreaseproof paper . - In a large bowl, cream your butter/margarine and sugar until light and fluffy in both colour and texture.
- Add the egg and mix until combined. Sift in the flour and mix to form a dough - it will likely be quite crumbly, so use your hands to bring it together.
- Roll the dough on a floured surface to around 5mm (¼ inch) thick. Using a round cutter, cut out your biscuits and transfer them to the
baking trays . The number of biscuits will depend on the cutter size - the smaller the cutter, the more biscuits you'll get. - Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are just turning golden and the tops appear dry. Again, depending on the size of your biscuits, you may need to bake them a little bit longer.
- When still warm but cool enough to touch, spread a little jam on the underside of half the biscuits. Place the remaining biscuits on top to sandwich them together. Allow to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
For the Decoration
- When completely cool, make your icing by mixing
icing sugar and gradually adding the boiling water until you're happy with the consistency - "gloopy" is a great way to describe it! - Gently dip the tops of your biscuits into the icing, allowing the excess to drip off before flipping over.
- Decorate with half a
glacé cherry or ajelly tot in the centre of the biscuit. Leave the icing to set before serving.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
All my recipes are developed using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and millilitres). Cup measurements are available as a conversion but these, unfortunately, won't always be as accurate. For best results, I always recommend baking with a digital scale.
RECIPE NOTES:
Egg Size:
When it comes to eggs, I always buy mixed-weight free-range eggs. Generally, egg size doesn't make a huge difference in most baking, unless you are using sizes that lean towards the extremes. If you're unsure which eggs to use, I recommend medium eggs in the UK, which are roughly equivalent to large eggs in the US. That's what this recipe has been tested with.Substitutions:
- Jam: I love using strawberry jam for a traditional Empire Biscuit, but raspberry or even blackcurrant jam work just as well. Choose a seedless jam for the neatest finish.
- Decoration: Glacé cherries (candied cherries) and Jelly Tots (gum drops) are the traditional Scottish favourite, but you can top your biscuits however you like. You can even leave them plain if you prefer.
- Butter or Margarine: I recommend using block margarine or butter for the best texture. Avoid spreadable margarines, as they contain more water and can make the dough softer, more difficult to handle and cause the biscuits to spread while baking.
Biscuit Cutter Size:
You can use any size of cutter you have, or even an upturned glass if you don't have cutters. Choose your size based on what size of finished biscuits you'd like. Just be aware that you may need to adjust your baking times - smaller biscuits will bake faster, bigger biscuits will need a bit longer.Storage:
Store your Empire Biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. The biscuits may soften slightly after a day or two - this is normal.Make Ahead:
The biscuit dough can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept wrapped in the fridge. Alternatively, bake and jam the biscuits a day ahead and decorate them once completely cool.Tried this recipe?
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