Biscuits. Biccies. Ultimate accompaniment to a cup of tea (some say). And, this week, the challenge set on The Great British Bake Off. So, whether you’re feeling inspired, or just want an easy but impressive bake for the weekend, check out my take on that children’s favourite, the jammy dodger.
Two thick, buttery layers of rich, crisp shortbread, sandwiched together with a sticky, sweet jammy centre. Perhaps not ideal to dunk in your brew, but a sure-fire winner either way. And for these, I got to indulge in my favourite preserve, my Mum’s homemade raspberry jam.
Ruby-red, sweet-yet-tart in flavour and packed with raspberries (look at all those seeds!), it’s the real deal. Plus, I knew this jam would be well set, perfect for sandwiching biscuits.
Recipe-wise, I went with this gem from Waitrose. A simple shortbread, enriched with egg yolk and lightly flavoured with vanilla, then paired with your favourite jam – it doesn’t have to be raspberry! I also substituted in caster sugar for icing sugar (I’d run out!), and they still turned out great.
Here’s a couple of quick tips before you get baking:
- Definitely chill the dough before rolling it out. It’ll be quite sloppy once made, and chilling helps firm it up. Wrap it up well to stop it drying out in the fridge. Chilled dough is also relaxed dough, stopping your baked biscuits being tough, and chilling even helps the biscuits keep their shape when baking. Phew! So, chill the dough!
- Watch the biscuits like a hawk whilst baking. They’ll go from gorgeous golden-brown to bitter burnt in the blink of an eye.
- Use up those leftover egg whites – try your hand at making melt-in-the-mouth meringues.
Simple and yet so effective. These’ll be a great addition to any afternoon tea. You can even get the kids involved and be creative with the shapes you cut out too – these certainly don’t have to be round biscuits!
So why not bake a batch this weekend? Or maybe make them as a gift when you’re visiting friends. Let me know how you get on and show off your results.