Empire Biscuit

_A nostalgic Scottish teatime favourite: two buttery vanilla shortbread-style biscuits sandwiched with raspberry jam, topped with glacé icing and the traditional jelly sweet or glacé cherry._

Ingredients

• 300 g plain flour
• 200 g unsalted butter, softened
• 100 g caster sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 150 g raspberry jam
• 250 g icing sugar
• 3 tbsp water
• 12 jelly sweets or glacé cherries, to decorate

Method

Beat the softened butter and caster sugar together until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes.

Mix in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until combined.

Sift in the plain flour and salt, then bring together into a smooth dough with your hands. Do not overwork. Flatten into a disc, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 4mm thick. Stamp out rounds with a 6cm cutter, re-rolling the trimmings, to make an even number (around 24 rounds for 12 biscuits).

Place on lined baking trays and chill for a further 15 minutes to firm up and hold their shape.

Bake at 170C (fan 150C, gas mark 3) for 12 to 15 minutes, until just turning pale golden at the edges. They should stay pale. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cold, spread a teaspoon of raspberry jam over the flat side of half the biscuits and sandwich together with the remaining halves, pressing gently.

Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and beat in the water a little at a time to a thick but spreadable glacé icing that coats the back of a spoon.

Spoon the icing over the top of each biscuit, spreading almost to the edge and letting it settle into a smooth surface.

While the icing is still wet, top each biscuit with a jelly sweet or half a glacé cherry. Leave to set firm for at least an hour before serving.