Jammie Dodgers!

Hand up now – who here doesn’t like Jammie Dodgers?

I don’t think I’d ever had one until our daughter started to pick out her own stuff when we went shopping. What had I  been missing? That stretchy jam, and that shortbread – perfection! Now she’s all grown up and doing her own shopping, so I’ve no excuse to pop a bright red pack into my shopping trolley these days.

Only one thing for it – learn how to make my own. And, as if by magic, here is a recipe for you!

It’s a recipe by an Irish Chef called Shane Smith, but as usual I’ve made the mistakes so you don’t have to!

 

EQUIPMENT:

• 2/3 large baking trays, with a sheet of baking parchment on each
• an electric beater
• A sieve
• pastry cutters – One about 5-6cm diameter, and one much smaller, to make the central hole. I used Christmas cutters in these pictures, but this recipe is for life, not just for Christmas, so pick your own!

• Clingfilm, or one of those ecological waxed sheets (thanks Liz!)

INGREDIENTS:

• 100g Unsalted Butter at room temperature
• 170g golden caster sugar
• 1 egg
• A capful of Vanilla Extract
• pinch of salt
• 200g Plain Flour
• a jar of Strawberry jam – you won’t need it all.
• a tablespoon of Icing sugar

METHOD:

• Beat the butter and sugar together until they’re pale and light.
• Add the egg and the Vanilla and beat in.
• Sift in the flour and mix until fully combined – don’t over-work it. It takes just a minute to do this.

• Put the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat it into a circular patty. Cover with Clingfilm/waxed thingy, and chill for at least 30 mins.

• Prepare your trays
• After the dough has had a nice rest, roll half of it out on a floured surface until it’s a uniform 1/2 cm thick.
• Cut out an even number of biscuits.
• Then roll out the other half – I did it in 2 batches to keep the dough cool and manageable.
• I got 28 x 5cm biscuits, so 14 Jammies Dodgers in all.
• Put half the biscuits onto one tray as you cut them.

• Leave a decent-sized space between them – they rise more than you would think,
• Using your smaller cutters, cut a central shape out of the second lot of biscuits – these will be your top halves.
• Do a quick head count to make sure you’ve got an even number of biscuits overall,
• Put all the biscuits onto the baking trays, and CHILL for another 30minutes – the biscuits, not you, although you can have a cup of coffee now if you like 😉
• Heat your oven to 160Fan or equivalent.
• Put the biscuits in for 10-12 minutes, until pale golden.

• Allow to cool, then dust the top layer of biscuits with icing sugar (this bit is optional, although it does make them very pretty)
• Spread a small spoonful of jam on each plain biscuit, not out to the edges, with the thickest jam in the middle.

• Then top them off with the cut-out ones.
• And hey presto, you’ve got Jammie Dodgers!

NOTES:

• I thought when I tasted them first that they were too sweet, but I’m inclined to blame my homemade strawberry jam for that. However, the flavour grew on me as I continued to test them – plus my two guinea pigs – ahem – volunteers, really liked them!
• I think that I will perhaps give them about 2 more minutes baking next time, as the biscuits went a little – just a little – soft overnight. Still delicious and very edible though..
• I’m really looking forward to trying these with Lemon Curd for Easter..
• You could also use this recipe to make those other childhood favourites – German Biscuits. For those of you who don’t get out much – that’s all of us as I write – A German biscuit is two shortcake biscuits sandwiched together with jam, then iced and a light sprinkling of colourful sprinkles added!