Empire Cookies
Submitted by KONOR
Scottish Empire cookies: buttery shortbread rounds sandwiched with raspberry jam, topped with a thin sugar glaze and colored sprinkles. A classic tea-time biscuit.
YIELD
12 cookiesPREP
20 minCOOK
10 minREADY
30 minEmpire cookies are a Scottish bakery staple: two rounds of rich, crumbly shortbread sandwiched with a thin layer of seedless raspberry jam, then topped with a simple sugar glaze and a scattering of colored sugar. You’ll find them in nearly every bakery window in Scotland, and once you try them, you’ll understand why.
The dough is as simple as it gets. Butter, sugar, and flour. No eggs, no leavening, no vanilla. That’s what makes it a true shortbread base, and it’s what gives these cookies their signature sandy, melt-on-your-tongue texture. Kneading until the dough turns shiny develops just enough structure to hold together without making them tough.
Chilling the dough for several hours is a must. Warm shortbread dough is sticky, impossible to roll, and spreads in the oven. Cold dough holds its shape and bakes up crisp and neat.
Kitchen Tips
- Roll the dough to exactly ¼ inch thick. Too thin and they’ll overbake and crumble. Too thick and they won’t have that delicate snap.
- Bake just until slightly golden, not browned. These should be pale and sandy. Even an extra minute can push them past the point of no return.
- Use a light hand with the jam. A thin smear is all you need. Too much and the cookies slide apart.
- Let the glaze set completely before stacking or storing. Rushing this step means sticky cookies stuck to each other.
Variations
- Lemon Empire: Swap the raspberry jam for lemon curd and add a drop of lemon extract to the glaze.
- Chocolate dipped: Skip the sugar glaze and dip half of each assembled cookie in melted dark chocolate for a more indulgent finish.
Ingredients
Directions
Beat butter and granulated sugar in large bowl of electric mixer Slowly add flour and blend well. Remove from bowl and knead until shiny. Divide dough in half; wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate dough until it is firm enough to roll, several hours or longer. Let dough soften slightly on counter if too firm to roll. Heat oven to 325℉ (160℃). Roll dough between two sheets of floured wax paper or flatten dough with floured hands to ¼ inch thickness on a floured surface. Use cookie cutters to make shapes. Transfer to ungreased baking sheets. Bake only until slightly golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheets just long enough to firm cookies and then remove to wire racks to cool completely. To assemble, spread half of the cookies with a small amount of jam and sandwich with another cookie. Put confectioners sugar into a small bowl and drizzle in just enough milk to make a thin glaze. Frost cookies lightly with the glaze and sprinkle with colored sugar. Let stand until glaze hardens.
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