These old fashioned biscuits hold huge sentimental value for me.
I stood on a chair in my Grandma Calvert’s kitchen, aged 7, while she taught me the finer points of making these simple biscuits of comfort.
They were always a reliable staple in her ancient cake tin on the top of her fridge, to be stolen whenever she wasn’t looking and, as an adult, have made countless batches for friends (and myself) who have needed comfort and cheer.
I have since inherited Grandma’s old cake tin and lovingly filled it to overflowing with jam drops to share at her funeral.
With a cup of tea, they bring Grandma back to me every time.
Ingredients:
- 120gm very soft butter
- ½ cup castor sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 ¾ cups self-raising flour
- Pinch of salt
- About 1/3 cup any type of jam (MFK apricot jam is good)
Method:
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C fan forced. Line a large biscuit tray with baking paper, you may need 2 trays as this batch makes approx. 40 jam drops.
- Beat butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add the egg and beat it in well, then the vanilla. Reduce the speed of the mixer and slowly add in the flour and salt until it’s a stiff paste.
- Take small dessert spoonful’s of mixture and roll into balls with your hands and place on the lined trays with good spacing between each, they spread quite a bit as they cook.
- Make a hollow in each ball with a small thumb or the back of a tsp measuring spoon, deep enough to hold ¼ tsp of jam in each. Fill each hollow with jam and bake in the oven for about 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden.
- The jam is HOT so let them cool a little before enjoying with a cup of tea or glass of cold milk.
- Store in your Grandma’s cake tin or similar. They freeze beautifully too, so why not make a double batch!