Jam drops
Jam thumbprint biscuits
Australian thumbprint butter biscuits filled with jam
Few things say Australian morning tea like a plate of jam drops: soft golden butter biscuits, each with a thumb-pressed hollow of glossy jam. Country cookbooks and school fete stalls have carried them for generations, and they are often the first biscuit Australian children learn to bake, because there is nothing to roll or cut. Serve them with a cuppa, or tuck them into lunch boxes; plum or apricot jam work as well as raspberry. Plenty of families make them without egg, using a little milk instead. Chef's tip: fill each hollow only level with the top, about half a teaspoon; overfilling is the common error, and the jam bubbles over and burns on the tray.
- Total time
- 34 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the biscuits
- 4 ½ oz buttersoftened
- 3 ½ oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 eggor 2 tbsp milk for an eggless version
- 8 oz plain flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
For the filling
- 2 ⅞ oz raspberry jam
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and line two trays with baking paper.
Step 2: Beat 4 ½ oz butter, 3 ½ oz caster sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, then beat in 1 egg.
3 minStep 3: Sift in 8 oz plain flour, 1 ½ tsp baking powder and 1 pinch salt and mix to a soft dough.
Step 4: Roll into 24 balls the size of a walnut and set them 4 cm apart on the trays.
Step 5: Press a floured thumb or the end of a wooden spoon into each ball to make a deep hollow, without going right through.
Step 6: Fill each hollow with about half a teaspoon of 2 ⅞ oz raspberry jam, level with the top.
Step 7: Bake for 12–14 minutes, until golden at the base and edges, still pale on top and slightly soft in the middle.
14 minStep 8: Cool on the trays for 5 minutes, as the jam is very hot, then on a rack. Keep in a tin for up to five days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 180 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jam drops take?
- About 34 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 14 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 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 butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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