Empire Biscuits Recipes

EMPIRE BISCUITS

Steps:

• For the shortbread cookies: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Have ready two 9-by-13-inch sheets of parchment paper.
• Mix together the butter, sugar and salt in a medium bowl with a rubber spatula until evenly combined. Stir in the flour until the dough forms a ball and you no longer see any streaks of flour; the dough may look slightly cracked, but this is fine.
• Place the dough in the center of one prepared parchment sheet, then top with the second prepared parchment sheet. Use your hands to press the dough into the same shape as the parchment. When the dough becomes thin enough, you can switch to a rolling pin to ensure the dough is rolled out evenly to about 1/4 inch thick. Remove the top parchment sheet and place it on a baking sheet.
• Cut the dough into 24 rounds with a 2 1/4-inch round cookie cutter, biscuit cutter or the top of a glass. You can bring the scraps of dough together to form a ball and roll it again if needed. Place the cookie rounds on the parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes. Place the remaining sheet of parchment on a second baking sheet.
• Arrange 12 chilled rounds 1/2 inch apart on each parchment-lined baking sheet. Shortbread shouldn't get too much color when baking, so bake until the shortbread is just set and the edges begin to turn a pale golden brown, about 22 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the sugar glaze.
• For the sugar glaze: Whisk together the confectioners' sugar and milk in a small bowl until a thick and smooth glaze forms.
• To assemble, dip the top of 1 cooled cookie into the glaze. Lift the cookie just slightly above the glaze and let the excess drip off. Place glaze-side up on the wire rack and place half of a glazed cherry in the center before the glaze sets. Repeat with 11 of the cookies.
• Flip over the 12 remaining plain cookies. Evenly spread 1 teaspoon of the raspberry jam to the edges of each cookie.
• Place 1 glazed cookie on top of 1 jam-topped cookie. Repeat with the remaining cookies to make 12 sandwich cookies. Serve immediately or store between parchment paper in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

HOW TO MAKE EMPIRE BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200 Celcius or 400 Fahrenheit, or 180C/350F for a fan oven.
• Start by beating the butter until it is softened just creamy, but not too fluffed up or airy. Then add the sugar and mix until just combined. You want the sugar to dissolve into the butter to a caster or fine sugar is best.
• Next, add the flour along with a beaten egg and mix carefully until the dough begins to form clumps. At this point, you can get your hands into it and bring the dough together.
• Tip onto a lightly floured surface and roll the dough out until it's around 5mm or about a 1/4 inch in thickness.
• You can use a cookie cutter like this one, or the rim of a glass to cut the dough into separate biscuits.Use a spatula or a pastry/dough scraper to move the biscuits onto the baking tray, lined with baking paper or a reusable liner.
• If you have time, chill for about 20 minutes in the fridge to help stop spreading.
• Bake for approximately 20 minutes. The biscuits will stay soft but will start to town slightly and that's when they're ready. Take them out of the oven and allow to cool.
• Match the biscuits into pairs. Spread jam over the top of the biscuit that will be the base, and press the biscuit for the top gently down onto it.
• Mix the icing/confectioners sugar with just enough milk or water to form a thick but runny consistency. We start with a couple of tablespoons and then slowly add more until it's ready. You can either spread the icing with a teaspoon/knife or use the dipping method. If you're using a spoon or knife then start with a small amount in the middle of the biscuit and slowly spread it out, leaving a gap before the edge of the biscuit in case of extra spread. Otherwise, dip the biscuit top side down into the icing to coat it, allow any excess to drip off, and then quickly flip over and pit back on a tray to allow it to harden. You want to try and avoid the icing running down the sides of the biscuit.
• Place half a glace/candied cherry in the centre of the biscuit. Allow the icing to harden and then eat!

EMPIRE BISCUITS

Steps:

• Put the flour, butter, 85g of the icing sugar, the vanilla and egg yolks in a food processor and pulse in bursts until combined (alternatively, rub together the butter and flour with your fingertips and mix in the sugar, vanilla and egg yolks). Add ½ tbsp water if the mix feels a little dry. Tip the rough mixture onto a work surface and briefly knead until the dough has come together. Wrap and chill for 30 mins.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Lightly dust your work surface with flour and roll the dough out to around 3mm thick. Cut 24 rounds from the dough with a 7cm cutter. Bring the remaining scraps of pastry together and reroll to make more biscuits. Line up the discs of dough on the baking sheets, then bake for 10-12 mins or until lightly golden brown around the edges. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
• Mix the remaining icing sugar with 2-3 tsp of water to make a very thick icing. Spoon or pipe the icing over the top of half of the biscuits, leaving a border around the edge of each one. Top with a small piece of glacé cherry in the centre, then leave to set for 30 mins. Spread the jam over the un-iced biscuits and sandwich together with the iced halves. Will keep for two days in an airtight tin.

EMPIRE BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Gradually stir in the flour until well blended. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into rounds using a cookie cutter.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Sandwich one teaspoon of jam between two cookies. Repeat with remaining cookies. In a medium bowl, gradually stir the milk into the confectioners' sugar until the icing is of a spreadable consistency. Spread on top of the sandwiched cookies. Top each cookie with half of a cherry while the icing is still wet.

EMPIRE BISCUITS

Steps:

• Place the butter and caster sugar in a large bowl and cream together until smooth and light in colour. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract. Sift in the flour in small batches and mix well until combined.
• Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the dough to a 1cm/½in thickness. Use a round plain or fluted biscuit cutter to cut out the biscuits - the smaller the cutter, the more biscuits you will have, just make sure you cut out an even amount. Roll any offcuts of dough back together and cut out some more biscuits. Place the rounds on baking trays, leaving at least 3cm/½in space between biscuits as they will spread in the oven. Pop in the fridge for at least 1 hour to firm up.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and bake for 10-15 minutes or until baked through but not bronzed. Leave to cool on a wire rack completely.
• To make the topping, place the icing sugar in a bowl and gradually mix in the milk, if using, or a few tablespoons of water to make a thick glossy icing. Spread the icing on half of the biscuits and spread 1 tablespoon of jam on each of the remaining biscuits. Place the iced biscuits on top of the biscuits with jam. Top each biscuit with half a glacé cherry or a gem sweet.

EMPIRE BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Gradually stir in the flour until well blended.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into rounds using a cookie cutter.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Sandwich one teaspoon of jam between two cookies. Repeat with remaining cookies. In a medium bowl, gradually stir the milk into the confectioners' sugar until the icing is of a spreadable consistency. Spread on top of the sandwiched cookies.
• Top each cookie with half of a cherry while the icing is still wet.

EMPIRE BISCUITS

Steps:

• In large bowl, using hand mixer on medium, cream together butter and 1/2 cup sugar. Add egg and blend thoroughly. Add flour, baking soda and cream of tartar, and mix well.
• On lightly floured surface, roll out to 1/8-1/4" thick. Cut into desired shapes and place on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake at preheated 300F oven until lightly golden around edges, about 12-15 minutes.
• While still hot, sandwich together with jam. Set on rack to cool.
• In small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup sugar, extract, and enough water to make icing. Ice tops of cooled cookies and decorate as desired.