Easy Jam Drop Biscuits

a plate of jam drop biscuits on a table.

4.81 from 41 votes

Jam drop biscuits are an old-fashioned recipe that everyone loves! Rich and buttery vanilla biscuits are filled with your favourite jam, making the perfect afternoon treat.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Chilling Time30

Total Time50

Course: baking, Snack

Cuisine: Australian

Servings: biscuits

Calories: 112kcal

Author: Andrea Geddes

Ingredients

125 grams unsalted butter , softened at room temperature
115 grams caster sugar (115 grams caster sugar = ½ cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
1 large egg ,at room temperature
225 grams self-raising flour (225 grams self-raising flour = 1 ½ cups).
raspberry jam (or other jam/spread of choice).

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 180ºC/356 F (160°C fan-forced) and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Using electric beaters or a wooden spoon, beat the softened butter, caster sugar and vanilla together in a large mixing bowl until pale and soft (1-2 minutes).
Add the egg and continue to beat until combined.
Add the self-raising flour and mix (low speed) to a soft dough, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Wrap the dough in cling wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Using 2 heaped teaspoons of dough per biscuit, use your hands to roll the dough into balls and arrange on the prepared trays. Leave a 5cm gap between each ball, to allow for the biscuits to spread.
* This quantity of dough should make between 20-22 biscuits).
Using your thumb, press halfway down into the centre of each biscuit, to make a well for the jam.
Use a teaspoon or piping bag to add a little jam (about ½ teaspoon) to fill the centre of each biscuit.
*Don't overfill them, you can always add more jam at the end!
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly golden.
Allow the biscuits to sit on the tray for 5 minutes and then use a flat spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Or enjoy them warm!

Notes

Measure your ingredients. Adding too much flour to the dough will make the biscuits dry and floury. The easiest way to measure flour accurately is to use kitchen scales. If you don’t have scales, fluff the flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into a measuring cup and level the top with a knife.
Lightly flour your hands as you handle the dough. This makes the dough easier to roll.
Don’t skip chilling the dough! For perfectly shaped biscuits that don’t spread too far, rest the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before baking.
Don’t add too much jam! The jam will spread in the oven, along with the dough. If too much jam is added, it can overflow or work its way through the bottom of the biscuits. You can always top them up with more jam after baking, if needed.
The dough may crack slightly when you press your thumb into it, or when baking. To get rid of the cracks, roll the ball of dough in your hands a bit to warm it up slightly. Then, smooth the dough with your fingers after shaping. However, this is not essential. Some cracks are normal.
Don’t press your thumb too deeply into the dough, or the jam filling will fall through the bottom of the biscuits.
Leave space between the biscuits on the tray, as they will expand as they bake.
Be careful when removing the biscuits from the oven. The jam will be burning hot.
Storage tips; while they are best eaten fresh in the first 1-2 days, jam drops will last for 5-7 days in an airtight container in the pantry.
The dough can also be frozen and thawed to make jam drops whenever you like. Wrap the chilled dough and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before baking as normal.
Please note that the nutrition information is based on the mixture making 20 biscuits, with one biscuit being one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any additional toppings or sides served with the biscuits.
This recipe is made using Australian metric cups and spoon measurements. Any reference to cups or spoons in this recipe is in Australian metric. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.

Nutrition