These Jam Shortbread Cookies are a must make. The base of tender, buttery, almond shortbread is made extra special by a touch of jam in the centre. They are easily made, gluten-free and melt in the mouth delicious.
165gplain flour/all purpose flourI used Orgran Gluten Free Plain Flour
65gcorn flourcheck it is made from corn and not wheat
30galmond meal
250gbuttercut into cubes
almond essencea few drops
extra icing sugar for dusting
4tablespoonjamI used raspberry and apricot
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180 Degrees C (350 F).
I used silicone mini muffin cases that do not require greasing*. If using metal tins you will need to grease each cup well with butter.
Sift together icing sugar and flours, add almond meal.Put in a food processor.Add cubed butter and a few drops of almond essence.
Process until the mixture just begins to come together.
Turn onto cling wrap, bring the dough together and form into a disc. Refrigerate for about a half hour so the mixture is easier to handle. If it is still too sticky, return to the refrigerator for a short time.
Roll the mixture into small balls, about the size of a rounded teaspoon.*Place the small balls into the mini muffin cups, flattening the tops slightly with your fingers. If the dough is sticky, have a small bowl of flour nearby to lightly dip your finger-tips.The dough should come about ⅓ of the way up the side of the tin.
Bake in the pre-heated oven until a light gold colour, about 12-15 minutes.Remove from the oven and, using the handle of a wooden spoon, make a small indentation in the top of each biscuit.*
Cool in the tins. Place a clean tea towel on your bench, turn the silicone mould over and gently ease the shortbread cookies out. If using a metal mould, gently tap the mould on the bench so the shortbreads fall out. Be careful, the cookies are very fragile.*
Once cool, put some jam in the cavity and dust with icing sugar to serve.
Notes
*Pure icing sugar is, as the name implies, 100% natural and I prefer it for these shortbread cookies. I tried them once with a gluten-free icing sugar mixture but was not as happy with the result. Icing sugar mixtures have some additional cornflour, sometimes from wheat.*Use the jam of your choice, or use two for contrasting colours.*I mostly use silicone muffin cases for this recipe. The cookies are very fragile and the silicone cases make it very simple to remove them. The flexibility of the silicone means that the cookies are removed by holding the mould just above a tea towel and gently pressing the bottom of each cookie. I have also used metal tins. Just ensure they are well greased with butter. Hold the tin low over a tea towel and firmly tap one end on your bench or chopping board. They fall out very easily. Just ensure with either method you keep the mould low so the cookies do not fall from a height. They are extremely fragile.*The amount of mixture you use will depend on the size of your mini muffin tin. I have three and they are all different sizes.*The wooden spoon I use has a rounded end. If yours doesn’t you may have another kitchen item which does. If the handle becomes sticky when making the indents, dip it into a small dish of icing/confectioners’ sugar.