Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Biscuit Base
- 175 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 75 g caster sugar
- 250 g plain flour
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Filling
- 100 g raspberry jam, smooth or seeded
Icing and Topping
- 150 g icing sugar, sifted
- 20 ml warm water
- 6 glacé cherries, halved
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
In a mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and caster sugar together using an electric mixer until pale and fluffy.
Add the vanilla extract and gently mix in the plain flour until a soft dough forms. Do not overwork the dough.
Shape the dough into a disc, wrap it tightly, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up the butter.
Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 5mm. Use the 6cm round biscuit cutter to cut out 24 circles, re-rolling scraps as needed.
Place the dough circles onto the prepared baking trays. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 180°C/350°F until pale golden at the edges.
Allow the biscuits to rest on the trays for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Once completely cool, spread about 1 teaspoon of raspberry jam onto the flat side of half the biscuits. Top with the remaining biscuits, pressing gently to sandwich them together.
In a clean bowl, gradually whisk the warm water into the sifted icing sugar until you achieve a smooth, thick, spreadable consistency that holds its shape slightly.
Spoon a small amount of icing onto the top of each biscuit sandwich, spreading it gently toward the edges. Place a glacé cherry half in the center of the wet icing and leave to set for 15 minutes.
Chef's Notes
- To achieve a cleaner presentation, lightly warm your jam in a small saucepan or microwave and stir until smooth. This makes spreading much easier and creates a uniform layer without tearing the tender shortbread.
- Always sift your icing sugar. Even tiny lumps will ruin the smooth, glossy surface of the finished biscuit top.
- Shortbread dough relies on cold butter to maintain its tender crumb. If you notice the dough becoming greasy or exceedingly soft while rolling, place it back in the refrigerator immediately.
- When sandwiching the biscuits, press them together from the center outwards to gently push the jam to the edges without overflowing.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Store in an airtight container to keep the icing firm.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze the baked, un-iced and unfilled biscuit rounds only. Defrost before assembling.
