Jam Drops

Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits with a sweet jammy centre — the classic Aussie bake that’s almost impossible to mess up.

Ingredients

• 125 g unsalted butter, softened (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup (110 g) caster sugar (or white sugar)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional but lovely)
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 cups (225 g) plain flour (all-purpose)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup jam (any flavour: raspberry, strawberry, apricot — whatever you love)

Method

• 1

  Step 1: Preheat & set up tray

  Preheat the oven to **180°C (160°C fan)**. Line **1–2 baking trays** with baking paper.

• 2

  Step 2: Cream butter and sugar

  In a medium bowl, add the **soft butter** and **sugar**. Use a wooden spoon (or hand mixer if you have one) to beat for **1–2 minutes** until it looks **paler and fluffy**.

• 3

  Step 3: Add egg and vanilla

  Beat in the **egg** (and **vanilla** if using) until the mixture is smooth and well combined.

• 4

  Step 4: Mix in dry ingredients

  Sprinkle in the **flour, baking powder, and salt**. Mix until you can’t see dry flour anymore and you have a soft dough.

• 5

  Step 5: Roll into balls

  Scoop out **heaped teaspoons** of dough and roll into balls (about **2.5 cm** wide). Place on the tray about **4–5 cm apart** (they spread a little).

• 6

  Step 6: Make the jam “thumbprints”

  Use your thumb (or the rounded end of a wooden spoon) to gently press a dip into the centre of each ball — about **1.5 cm wide**.

• 7

  Step 7: Fill with jam

  Spoon **1/2 teaspoon** jam into each dip. Don’t overfill — the jam will bubble and spread as it bakes.

• 8

  Step 8: Bake

  Bake for **10–12 minutes** until the biscuits are **very lightly golden on the edges** but still pale on top.

• 9

  Step 9: Cool (important!)

  Leave biscuits on the tray for **5 minutes** (they’re fragile when hot), then transfer to a rack/plate to cool completely.

Tips

• **Jam choice:** Raspberry is the classic, apricot is very Aussie, strawberry is kid-approved — any jam works.
• **No caster sugar?** Regular white sugar is fine; the crumb will be slightly more textured but still delicious.
• **Make-ahead:** Roll dough balls and refrigerate (un-jammed) up to **2 days**; thumbprint and jam right before baking.
• **Storage:** Keep in an airtight container for **4–5 days**. They soften slightly over time (still great!). If you want them firmer, store with a piece of paper towel in the container.
• **Serving idea:** Perfect with a cuppa; for dessert, serve slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (the jam turns gloriously gooey).

Nutrition (per serving, estimate)