Now, this is what I’m talking about.
Jam drops that are crispy/chewy with that sticky jam centre, made with custard powder, and tasting exactly like childhood.
They also contain no eggs – which is fabulous for when your chooks decide they have better things to do (aka mine) or if you don’t have any, or if you can’t eat them.
No custard powder? No worries! (I keep it on hand always for jam drops and proper sponge cake but not much else to be honest), you can replace it with flour or cornflour, but they won’t taste quiiiiite the same. They’ll still be bloody good, though!
The dough mixes up quite soft, and should look put together but not totally smooth – adjust your milk as you go, but you don’t want it too dry or too runny.
It should make very soft balls that expand gently in the oven.
I always flatten my dough balls ever-so-slightly with my fingers, and use the bottom of a wooden spoon handle to gently poke holes in the dough, ready for the jammmmmm.
These are great with any jam you like, but I often use it for homemade jam that the kids end up not liking. My favourite is raspberry, but I’ve made it with strawberry, mixed berry, fig jam, pear and vanilla bean jam, marmalade, and blackberry jam. All delicious!
Look at that. Fill up yer biscuit tin! This recipe also doubles easily and freezes well.
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The jam drops of your childhood – no biscuit tin should be without them!
Ingredients
- 80g unsalted butter, softened
- 80g (⅓ cup) caster sugar
- 2 – 4 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 125g (1 cup) self-raising flour
- 40g (⅓ cup) custard powder
- Several tablespoons of your favourite jam
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C.
- Line two baking trays with baking paper or a Silpat mat
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla and 2 tablespoons of the milk and combine.
- Mix in the flour and custard powder until it makes a soft dough that is just coming together.
- Add the extra milk if you think it needs it – the dough should be pliable but not too soft.
- Roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls gently with your hands and place on the trays. They don’t spread too much but they do spread, so 3-4 inches between balls should be fine.
- Flatten the balls very gently with your fingers and then use the end of a wooden spoon handle to poke a fairly deep hole into the centre of the dough, but be careful not to push through the entire way! You don’t want holes where the jam can escape. You also don’t want to make them too shallow where the jam spills out all over the top.
- Fill the holes carefully with a little jam – don’t go crazy, as it will go everywhere if you over-fill it!
- Bake for anywhere between 15 and 30 minutes, depending on how brown you like them. They will feel quite soft even when they are cooked all the way so bear that in mind.
- Cool slightly on the trays before transferring into a wire rack to cool.
Notes
- Keep in an airtight container
- Baked biscuits can be frozen
- Dough can be frozen and defrosted before rolling into balls, filling, and baking.
- Change up the jam according to whatever you have in the pantry
- Custard powder can be replaced with equal quantities of self-raising flour or cornflour.
Keywords: old fashioned jam drops, easy jam drops, jam fancies, jam drop recipe, jam drops with custard powder, traditional jam drops
This is what Im making once the oven get fixed!
Yum, yum, yum! There is nothing better than a freshly made jam drop!