Jam Sandwich biscuits

The cover page of the book I have, sports a tea spread featuring these biscuits. Just as in all cookbooks the presentation would lead you to the page looking for the recipe. For the simple reason they are catagorised under rolled and cut cookies, I have been looking at the picture and shutting the book with a sigh. I think that rolling and cutting is a daunting task. The other reason was that the list of ingredients includes one small egg white. Until I read many blogs giving substitutes for eggs, I have not read the recipe past the ingredients list.

With the newly found knowledge of egg substitutes my interest in this recipe was rekindled. And Lo!!! the egg white is only for brushing the top of the cookies! now HOWZZAT, for such ignorance? I own this book for over 10 years now :(

Anyway, finally I read the recipe, then again for a confirmation and again with the zeal of trying it out. Now you see that I have successfully tried them out.

The recipe has been adapted from, of course, my only baking guide, Cookies Galore by Betty Saw. I halved the ingredients, and went one step further to bake a few minutes again after sandwiching the jam.

The hurdle was that my cookie cutter was not of desired size, I tried with lot many stuff I could think of, which did not work. So no floral pattern. I have skipped the egg wash which would otherwise add a shine to the top.

The day I baked they were soft, to the point that I thought they would break and the jam was oozing. But they were deliciously right by the next day and the jam was as chewy as in the jim jam biscuits we buy in India. However, I would like to reduce the butter and try with a better quality custard powder next time.

To quote Betty Saw,

"these are so buttery and deliciously short, that you will wonder why you ever bought them. They taste wonderful even without jam"

Unquote.

The recipe:

Rolled and cut cookies/ 45 minutes preparation time/ 15 minutes baking time.

Makes 34

Ingredients:

240 grams self raising flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

120 grams custard powder

250 grams butter at room temperature

180 grams icing sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla essence

Ready to use jam, any flavour

Method:

Line the baking trays with non-stick baking paper.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and custard powder.

Using an electric mixer, cream together the sugar, vanilla essence and the butter at medium speed until light and fluffy.

Stir the sifted dry ingredients and beat on lowest speed until they are blended well.

Roll out the dough between two plastic sheets to 0.75 cm thickness.

Chill this rolled out dough for 30 minutes.

Pre heat the oven to 175 Degrees Centigrade/ 345 Degrees Farenheit.

Using a 2" floral cookie cutter, cut out shapes of the dough. From one half of the shaped discs scoop out the centre making a hallow there. Place on prepared trays.

Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.

Remove and cool on wire racks.

Place a small ball of jam over the whole cookie and cover with the ones with the hallowed centres.

Cool and store them in cookie jars.

The recipe as given in the book stops with this step.

I put the sandwiched cookies on the tray and baked them for a further 7 minutes at 170 degrees Centigrade.

Serve these very delicious biscuits with tea. The scooped out centres could be rolled out into cookies as well. I simply made some floral cookies with those tiny scoops of dough.

These are off to Ruchika cooks who is hosting the current session of Baking from a book.