If there’s one recipe that people always ask for from Granny, it’s her Empire Biscuit one! These little gems are so simple & so versatile. You can go all traditional and opt for a Glace Cherry or a Jelly Tot
Sometimes in baking though it’s the simpler recipes that make the most impact and with two little biscuits sandwiched with jam & topped with icing, it doesn’t get much easier than this! Best of all, more so than anything else about these little Empire Biscuits, is that the kids devour them. Easy and kid friendly = win, win in my books.
Empire Biscuits
Ingredients
For the Biscuits
- 130 g Caster Sugar
- 250 g Butter
- 1 Egg
- 500 g Plain Flour
For the Decoration
- Strawberry or Raspberry Jam
- 200 g Icing Sugar
- Few teaspoons of boling water
- Glace Cherries/Gummy Sweeties/Icing Shapes
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 180°c (or 160°c for a fan assisted oven) and line a couple of baking trays with greaseproof paper.
- Cream your butter & sugar on a medium speed until light & fluffy.
- Add the egg and mix until combined then sift in the flour and mix to form a dough.
- Roll the dough on a floured surface to around 1cm thick. Using a round cutter, cut your biscuits & transfer to your baking tray.
- Bake for around 10 minutes until the edges of the biscuit are just golden.
- When still warm but cool enough to touch, add the jam to the under side of half your biscuits and pop the other half on top of these to sandwich together.
- When completely cool, make your icing by mixing icing sugar & gradually adding the boiling water until you're happy with the consistency - "gloopy" is a great way to describe it! Gently dip the top of your biscuits into the icing to cover and top with your decoration of choice!
Well not the best recipe.
Hi mark, I found the recipe far too buttery but got there in the end! Do you have an alternative?
Agree. After 10 minutes at 160 then came out completely raw in the centre. I had to turn it up to 180 (with fan) and cook on for an other 10 minutes. I think the problem is that “Granny” doesn’t specify a cutter size and as we all know size does make a difference.
You are right, a larger cutter would require a little longer in the oven. I will update the recipe to specify this for those who may not realise.
The biscuits will however still be a little soft in the middle when you remove them from the oven and will harden as they start to cool. If they are still raw and not golden at the edges (as per recipe) I’d recommend leaving them in the oven for a little longer.
Amy
This is now my Every Time recipe.
Every time I make these biscuits with this recipe, they are perfect. I have tried several other recipes, most of them spread during cooking or fall to pieces when spreading, not with this recipe, it is perfect.
The shape and texture is perfect and the flavour is delicicious. I have to eat a couple as soon as I’ve made them because if I go back later to get some, they’re gone. They definitely don’t last long in this house.
Thank you Granny, I love baking with your recipes, they never fail to please.
Had to tweak these a little, used baking spread instead of butter and had to bake a lot longer than 10 mins, will put oven temp up to 180 next time, still a bit pale looking but lovely crunchy biscuits when finished, will definitely make them again
Can I freeze these with the icing on? Thank you
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Can I make the dough in the food processor?
I’m a 65year old British woman from a northern baking family. Never heard of them but will give them a try.