Mrs Rowden's Special Jam Drops

When we were kids we had a neighbour who made these amazing jam drops with a special extra bonus ... spread with icing and dipped in sprinkles, we loved getting a batch of these treats. We'd scoff as many as we could in the time it took us to climb the fence and stairs ... once the parents got them, we wouldn't see (or taste) them again until next time!

Ingredients

• 100 grams butter
• 50 grams self raising flour
• 200 grams plain flour
• 2 x eggs
• 4 teaspoons of jam (we used blackcurrant for this recipe)
• Optional: 1/4 cup sugar

Method

• Soften, then whisk butter.
• Beat eggs lightly with a fork to break up yolk and white, then add to butter and whisk
• Add flour, whisking until mixture becomes too hard ... then, use your fingers!
• Mix the dough until it is smooth then spoon into even sized portions before rolling into balls and flattening slightly between your palms.
• Place on a tray and use the back of a spoon or spatula shaped utensil to press a deep hole into the centre
• Spoon in about 1/4 a teaspoon of jam per cookie and spread into hole, but not filling it
• Bake in a moderate oven for 25 minutes or until they start to go golden brown
• Allow to cool on a tray

Icing

• 1 cup icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons softened butter
• 1 tablespoon milk
• Crushed peppermint crisp chocolate bar (optional)
• Mint flavouring (optional)
  or
• 1 tablespoon coffee powder dissolved in the milk

Icing Method

• Soften butter, add icing sugar and milk
• Add peppermint flavour
• Mix together until a smooth consistency
• Stir through crushed peppermint crisp
• Spread over cooled cookie
• Dip in sprinkles by pouring some in a bowl or plate and pressing cookie upside down into the pile of sprinkles, this helps them to stick into the icing.

This recipe is for the cookie on the right, vanilla with a mint icing.The cookie on the left is a chocolate marbled variation with chocolate icing.

• Chocolate Marbled Jam Drops with Chocolate Icing