Empire Biscuits
Empire Biscuits are a traditional Scottish biscuit made from two buttery shortbread-style biscuits sandwiched together with jam and topped with sweet icing and a glacé cherry or Jelly Tot. They’re a staple in bakeries across Scotland and one of my families all-time favourite nostalgic bakes.
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What are Empire Biscuits?
If there’s one recipe that people always asked my Mum for, it’s her Empire Biscuit one! These little gems are so simple and so versatile – it’s no wonder they are such a favourite here in Scotland, available in any good bakery and any supermarket.
An incredibly simple concept, too. Two little shortbread-style biscuits, sandwiched together with jam, topped with sweet icing and a little jelly tot or glace cherry. Occasionally you will even find some themed Empire Biscuits, like Saltire ones for St Andrews Day.
These favourite little biscuits have always been my Mum’s go-to recipe for pleasing guests – be it at kids’ parties, bake sales, coffee mornings, and even left out for Santa on Christmas Eve! They also had to feature in my debut cookbook, Scottish Bakes, alongside other biscuits from Scotland like Petticoat Tail Shortbread, Perkins and Oatcakes.
Empire Biscuit, German Biscuit, or Belgian Biscuit?
If you grew up outside of Scotland, you may well know these under a different name. Originally known as German Biscuits (from the similar but different Austrian Linzer Biscuit), they were renamed “Empire Biscuits” across the UK during World War I.
In Northern Ireland, many still call them German Biscuits today. While in New Zealand they are widely known as Belgian Biscuits. Whatever name you know them by, the recipe remains the same: two buttery biscuits, jam in the middle, and the iconic icing on top!
Ingredients for Empire Biscuits:
- Butter or Margarine: Butter gives the most traditional rich flavour in Empire Biscuits, but a block margarine is a great dairy-free alternative. If using margarine, just be sure to stick to block margarine rather than spreadable tub margarine (which has higher water content and makes the dough spread).
- Caster Sugar (Superfine Sugar): Caster sugar dissolves quickly during creaming, creating a melt-in-the-mouth texture. See my Caster Sugar Ingredient Guide for possible substitutes if you don’t have any caster sugar to hand.
- Egg: Adding a single egg helps bind the dough ingredients together, preventing it from splitting while rolling. As with all my recipes, egg size isn’t paramount – I usually buy the box of Free-range Mixed Weight Eggs. Something between a large and medium-sized egg is fine.
- Jam (Jelly): Raspberry or strawberry jam are the most traditional, but you can use whatever is your favourite. Choose a seedless jam for the smoothest finish.
- Icing & Topping: A simple water icing made with just icing sugar and hot water. Top with half a glacé cherry, a Jelly Tot (gum drop), or seasonal fondant cutouts!
Top Tips for Empire Biscuits:
- The Dough Starts Crumbly: When making your biscuit dough, don’t panic if it feels like the ingredients aren’t coming together, particularly after adding the flour. Empire biscuits have a crumbly, melt-in-the-mouth texture, which requires quite a firm dough. Once you get your hands into the dough mixture, the heat from your fingers will help bring the butter and flour together – just keep at it! Trust me.
- No Cutters, No Problem: If you don’t have a cookie cutter for cutting your biscuits, simply use an upturned glass.
- Size Matters, Only to You: You can make your biscuits as large or small as you prefer. Just be sure to adjust your baking time to suit – the larger the biscuit, the longer they need, and vice versa.
- Sandwich While Warm: You want to sandwich your biscuits with the jam while they are still warm. By doing this, as the biscuits cool, the jam will grip the biscuits together and keep them stuck in place.
- Use Hot/Boiling Water for the Icing: Mixing icing sugar with boiling water rather than cold water helps the icing set glossy and smooth, and with a slight shine.
- The “Dip Technique” for Neat Icing: When it comes to icing your biscuits, for the best finish, make your icing to a “gloopy” consistency. Hold your biscuits with your fingertips and gently dip the top of the biscuit onto the surface of your icing, slowly lifting them back out, allowing the excess to drip off, before flipping over. Top yours with a sweetie or cherry and leave it set. As long as your icing isn’t too runny, the icing shouldn’t run off the edges. Getting the right consistency can take a bit of trial and error, but it does give you the neatest finish, so it is worth practising.
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Empire Biscuits
INGREDIENTS
For the Biscuits
- 130 g Caster Sugar (Superfine Sugar)
- 250 g Butter or Margarine
- 1 Free-range Egg (see notes below)
- 500 g Plain Flour (All-purpose Flour)
For the Decoration
- Strawberry or Raspberry Jam
- 200 g Icing Sugar (Powdered Sugar)
- Few teaspoons of boiling water
- Glace Cherries/Gummy Sweets
EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
For the Biscuits
- Preheat your oven to 180°c (or 160°c for a fan-assisted oven, Gas Mark 4 or 350°F) and line a couple of baking sheets with greaseproof paper.
- In a large bowl, cream your butter & sugar until light & fluffy.
- Add the egg and mix until combined. Sift in the flour and mix to form a dough – it may be crumbly, so use your hands to bring it together.
- Roll the dough on a floured surface to around 5mm thick. Using a round cutter, cut out your biscuits and transfer them to your baking tray. The number of biscuits will depend on the cutter size – the smaller the cutter, the more biscuits you'll get.
- Bake for around 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are just turning golden and the tops appear dry. Again, depending on the size of your biscuits, you may need to bake them a little bit longer.
- When still warm but cool enough to touch, spread a little jam to the underside of half the biscuits. Place the remaining biscuits on top to sandwich them together. Allow to cool completely.
For the Decoration
- When completely cool, make your icing by mixing icing sugar & gradually adding the boiling water until you're happy with the consistency – "gloopy" is a great way to describe it!
- Gently dip the top of your biscuits into the icing, allowing the excess to drip off.
- Decorate with a glace cherry ot jelly tot in the centre of the biscuit. Leave the icing to set before serving.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
All my recipes are developed using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and millilitres). Cup measurements are available as a conversion but these, unfortunately, won’t always be as accurate. For best results, I always recommend baking with a digital scale.
NOTES
Egg Size:
When it comes to eggs, I always buy the Mixed-weight Free-range Eggs. Generally speaking, egg size doesn’t make a huge difference in most baking, unless you are using sizes that lean into the extremes. But with that in mind, medium-sized eggs are probably the best option if you are unsure what size eggs to use.Storage:
Store your Empire Biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. The biscuits may soften slightly after a day or two – this is normal.Make Ahead:
The biscuit dough can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept wrapped in the fridge. Alternatively, bake and jam the biscuits a day ahead and decorate them once completely cool.Substitutions:
- Jam: I love using raspberry jam for a traditional Empire Biscuit, but strawberry or blackcurrant jam work just as well. Choose a seedless jam for the neatest finish.
- Decoration: Glacé cherries and Jelly Tots are the traditional Scottish favourite, but you can top them however you like. You can even leave them plain if you prefer.
- Butter or Margarine: I recommend using block margarine or butter for the best texture. Avoid spreadable margarines, as they contain more water and can make the dough softer, more difficult to handle and cause the biscuits to spread while baking.
Biscuit Cutter Size:
You can use any size of cutter you have, or even an upturned glass if you don’t have cutters. Choose your size based on what size of finished biscuits you’d like. Just be aware that you may need to adjust your baking times – smaller biscuits will bake faster, bigger biscuits will need a bit longer.Tried this recipe?
Tag @bakingwithgranny or use the hashtag #bakingwithgranny!Frequently Asked Questions:
Empire Biscuits are a traditional Scottish biscuit made from two buttery biscuits sandwiched together with a layer of jam. They’re then topped with a simple water icing and finished with either a glacé cherry or a Jelly Tot.
Empire Biscuits weren’t always known by that name. Before the First World War, they were commonly called German Biscuits. During the war, many foods with German-sounding names were renamed, and it’s said that’s when they became known as Empire Biscuits.
There isn’t really a difference! Empire Biscuits and German Biscuits are essentially the same recipe, made with two buttery biscuits sandwiched together with jam and topped with icing.
The main difference is simply the name. Before the First World War, they were commonly known as German Biscuits. During the war, many German-sounding foods were renamed, and it’s believed that’s when they became known as Empire Biscuits. Today, the name Empire Biscuits is by far the most common across Scotland, but German Biscuits is still commonly used in Ireland.
Yes. While similar sandwich biscuits exist elsewhere, Empire Biscuits are considered a classic Scottish bake and remain a staple in bakeries across Scotland.
Because this recipe creates a short, melt-in-the-mouth biscuit, the dough starts off crumbly. There’s no need to add any liquid – simply get your hands in and bring the dough together with your fingers. Then transfer the mixture onto a clean surface and knead gently with the warmth of your hands for 1-2 minutes – the butter will soften and bind everything into a more workable dough.
Biscuits spreading usually happens if the butter was overly soft to begin with (you want it at room temperature only), if a soft margarine was used instead of a block margarine, or if the dough got too warm before baking. If your kitchen is particularly warm, you can chill the dough in the fridge for an hour before rolling out and cutting your biscuits.
Free-from & Vegan:
Gluten-free Options:
To make gluten-free Empire Biscuits, you should be able to swap out the plain flour for a gluten-free plain flour. Some gluten-free flours can be a little drier, so you may want to use a little less or up the amount of butter/margarine marginally, if your dough is struggling to come together.
Nut-free Adjustments:
This recipe contains no nuts, but as always, be sure to double-check the allergen lists for your individual ingredients.
Dairy-free Swaps:
To make these dairy-free Empire Biscuits, simply use your favourite dairy-free block margarine in place of the butter.
Egg-Free Adaptions:
To make this an egg-free Empire Biscuits recipe, you can leave out the egg and add a tablespoon of water to the dough mixture. The biscuits won’t be quite as rich in flavour, but they will still be delicious.
Vegan Substitutions:
To make vegan Empire Biscuits, simply follow the dairy-free and egg-free suggestions above.
Allergy Disclaimer & Resources:
Any advice or suggestions to make recipes “free-from” or vegan are purely suggestions. Please double-check all packaged ingredients individually, taking extra caution when baking for those with allergies or intolerances.
For official guidance on food allergies, please see Food Standards Agency (food.gov.uk) | For more info on coeliac disease, please see Coeliac UK (coeliac.org.uk) | For more info on a vegan diet, please see The Vegan Society (vegansociety.com)
What should I do if my mix isn’t combining into dough? Or how should I make it come together? I don’t want to overmix it but it’s become dry already.
Delicious. And so easy. Followed your recipe to the letter and result was fab! Thanks again, Amy.
PS Your book is fantastic.
Have to add…….these Empire Biscuits taste even better next day. Better than any I’ve had in my local cafes.
Just made these with my granddaughter today. Delicious The rest of the family will enjoy a treat later. Thank you.
Came out delicious. My icing was a bit thin but I think that’s because I was kind of freewheeling it. The dough does seem dry but if you work it a little with your hands it comes together easily, and is pretty forgiving. Amy if you ever go to war let me know I’ll be more than happy to be your front guard.
Made these a few times, and they are a favourite in our family. I just forget the Jelly tot every time.
Great recipe, thank you. I have made these Empire Biscuits twice now and the second batch were easier to make & turned out better than the first – as they say ‘practice makes perfect’!
Again another winner followed the recipe and they turned out perfect family loved them you do need to preserve with the dough but it comes together great I think I will be asked to make them on a regular basis
My gran is from Luton, but her father was a true scot. Every Christmas she makes these! Being married to an Irishman myself and living in the states, I need a little taste of these for the New Year! Cannot wait to make!
I’ve tried many Empire Biscuit recipes and this one is the absolute best. I’m in the US. I was very careful to follow the recipe exactly and converted the measurements to cups. Using boiling water for the icing is brilliant! I’ve never heard of doing that before. It made a beautiful icing. I’m a huge fan. Breakfast rolls are next on my list.
My biscuits seem very dry iv tried to make them again and the dough keeps splitting and crumbling
Hi
Can you please state what size cutter you used please? Is it a 2 inch? This would really help.
Thank you :)
My late father, who was a master baker at his father’s bakery in Clydebank in the 1940s and 1950s, always called these German biscuits, because they are made with a ‘short’ or German dough. The name was changed to Empire biscuit in the First World War when it was regarded as more patriotic. To this day I still always insist on calling them German Biscuits rather than Empire Biscuits :0)
My granny called them Belgian biscuits. I’ve no idea where that came from. She lived to 101 and died 22 years ago.
There was a family recipe for shortbread handed down 4,8,12. 4=sugar; 8=butter (always salted lurpak) and 12 flour. I hour at 140 C.
Perfect recipe. You just need to persevere with kneading when it looks all crumbly, a bit similar to making shortbread. It comes together eventually with the warmth of your hands
Has anyone tried making these gluten free with gf plain flour instead of normal?
Love these Empire biscuits part of my childhood memories in Scotland but I have lived in New Zealand for 50 years but still love the food of Scotland In fact even though its summer I still make my own steak pie for New Years day, a tradition in our family for eons.
The only addition I make to these delicious biscuits is semolina for added crunch just a coulplle of tablespoons and reduce the flour a wee bit dont know exact quantities as I just guess Thanks for the lovely recipe Am about to make the tattie scones. I made soda scones this week and serve them with stew instead of potatoes my dads favourite in years gone by
What type of butter is it unsalted block
Or is it soft baking spread
Can this recipe be frozen after cooked but before icing? Thanks
Made them exactly as written and they were everyone’s favorite at the Highland Games this year! My husband was eating the plain cookies faster than I could sandwich and ice them! Next time a batch for him and a batch for everyone else. Thank you for this great classic biscuit recipe!
it’s braw! We used this recipe for our mum’s and tot’s group. Made the dough on mixing machine and found it perfect. The children and parents had great fun rolling and cutting the biscuits. The trick with pre-school children is to have some biscuits pre-cooked, so when you disappear into the kitchen to bake them, you come out with two perfectly cooked biscuit ready for them to finish, magic. Their biscuits can be used by the next group etc. We live in England, but my wife’s a true highlander and so we are trying to educate the Sassenach’s, true cordon bleu patisserie!
I use stork instead of butter and 2 oz of custard powder. Makes a nicer biscuit.
Omg it’s too crumbly to roll! Help!!
Perfect recipe for the Empire biscuits I remember from when I was a child. While it might seem too much flour when you first tip it in, if you keep working it eventually it will come together in a nice biscuit dough (I used a hand mixer and once it started to look a little clumpy, I used my hands to knead it into a ball). I used a 2 1/4″ cutter and cooked them for about 12mins 160 Fan which seemed to hit the mark nicely in my oven to give me the lovely soft, pale biscuit I was after. Thank you for the recipe!
Sharon thanks for your post.
I make these all the time and have used many recipes. When I use this exact recipe I get the most positive comments from my guinea pigs.. eh I mean family! Thanks for sharing x
My four year old daughter loves making these biscuits. They even turn out like they’re supposed to which is rare when she bakes! Delicious and even taste better after a few days.
I used fine plain flour and stork but kept the the amount stated,turned out brilliant,I got 12 full biscuits with the cutter I had.
So pleased to find this recipe as my Granny used to make these. Followed the Recipe but found it didn’t need 500g of Flour!! However just added probably less than half that amount and the were perfect thank you
Followed this recipe to the word apart from the flour I used 491 grams instead of 500 grams, they are perfect thank you granny
Interested to see that it was boiling water used in the icing. Is that why the icing firms up a bit quicker?
This is the PERFECT recipe! I’ve used it multiple times now and they have turned out well every single time.
Thanks for sharing :)
Didn’t work out, waisted so much ingredients. It was a big crumbly mess so I think recipe perhaps has too much flour.
Wasted *
Love this recipe my only problem is the jam it oozes out the sides can you recommend he best jam ?
Just use less jam. It’s not important which brand.
I made these to your exact recipe. They turned out brilliant. Family want me to make more, as they don’t last long in our house!!!
I used the recipe as described and my biscuits turned out really well. I used a 2 3/4 inch cutter and the biscuits took about 12-14 minutes at 160c.
You do need to use your hands to bring the dough together. I chilled the dough before baking.
I’ve now made these many times and shared the recipe as they are such a hit. I use the exact measurements and timings and I find they make a beautiful pale, soft and crumbly biscuit. Just as a German biscuit should be. I do rest the dough for half an hour in the fridge though, seems to make it a little easier to work with.
Tried these and were lovely but found I needed to bake them for 25 mins.
Brilliant recipe thank you for sharing. Tried lots of different recipes but this is by far the best :)
Made these today, needed longer in oven than stated. That aside they are delicious, although I didn’t need all the flour
I’m in Scotland, so these are a favourite
Audrey Jones
Hi Audrey – I’m planning on making these once I can my hands on plain flour. Can I ask how much flour you used for these?
Many thanks.
Debbie
I couldn’t say the exact amount, I had what was stated in recipe and added some at intervals until I had a soft pliable dough and know I had some left over. Sorry I can’t be more precise. I have made them a few times now and definitely less flour than stated.
Oh. I guess I have to find the right amount of flour and butter etc?
I found the dough to be really crumbly, and in the end didn’t use the full amount of flour that was asked for. I too, found that 160 (fan assisted) wasn’t long enough and ended up doubling the time. The recipe doesn’t specify how many you will get, I got 10 biscuits though.
I’m not a baker so for me the recipe was simple with little ingredients so I’m happy with the way they turned out. My plan is to doorstep deliver to my family for Easter.
All shortbrrad dough is a little bit drier than most other doughs
That’s what makes it sooooo delish!
Agree. After 10 minutes at 160 then came out completely raw in the centre. I had to turn it up to 180 (with fan) and cook on for an other 10 minutes. I think the problem is that “Granny” doesn’t specify a cutter size and as we all know size does make a difference.
You are right, a larger cutter would require a little longer in the oven. I will update the recipe to specify this for those who may not realise.
The biscuits will however still be a little soft in the middle when you remove them from the oven and will harden as they start to cool. If they are still raw and not golden at the edges (as per recipe) I’d recommend leaving them in the oven for a little longer.
Amy
Completely raw?! That’s only happened to me when my old oven didnot work properly.
This recipe is perfect
We bake ALL of our biscuits at 180 and then adjust the time to suit.
I’m a 65year old British woman from a northern baking family. Never heard of them but will give them a try.
If you know Tebay service station on the M6 around the Lake District, they sell them there Delish!
Can I make the dough in the food processor?
I cheated just now and made these just now with some leftover vanilla cookie dough.
We make cookies to sell at markets and make all types with a a MIXER rather than by hand (and we have a load of repeat customers…).
I would guess you can use a food PROCESSOR but would have to be careful on speed etc.
Thank you a bunch for sharing this with all folks you really recognize what you’re speaking approximately!
Bookmarked. Kindly additionally visit my website =).
Really good! I found that refrigerating the dough over night gave it a much softer and snappier texture. I’m American, so I found it fun baking something from another culture!
Can I freeze these with the icing on? Thank you
You can freeze them but I wouldn’t.
Had to tweak these a little, used baking spread instead of butter and had to bake a lot longer than 10 mins, will put oven temp up to 180 next time, still a bit pale looking but lovely crunchy biscuits when finished, will definitely make them again
I always use stork margarine as then I get shortcake type biscuits and by the time they get sandwiched together with the jam and then iced they are far too sweet ( for me) if butter is used.
We use this recipe for schoolkids . Still delicious but not sickly. I keep the butter for traditional shortbread
All shortbrrad dough is a little bit drier than most other doughs
That’s what makes it sooooo delish!
Margarine is solidified oil . A completely different product to butter. It might look like butter but it’s not. Hence the end result is different.
Karen why did you have to tweak them?
I haven’t seen or had empire biscuits and many other of the recipes here including much-loved school cake for more than fifty years and I’ve missed this type of food so badly.
I’m going to start off baking with granny first with empire biscuits.
My heart and home will be united again.
Go granny go. Thanks for keeping loved recipes alive.
This is now my Every Time recipe.
Every time I make these biscuits with this recipe, they are perfect. I have tried several other recipes, most of them spread during cooking or fall to pieces when spreading, not with this recipe, it is perfect.
The shape and texture is perfect and the flavour is delicicious. I have to eat a couple as soon as I’ve made them because if I go back later to get some, they’re gone. They definitely don’t last long in this house.
Thank you Granny, I love baking with your recipes, they never fail to please.
Hi mark, I found the recipe far too buttery but got there in the end! Do you have an alternative?
My recipe is :
6oz plain flour
6oz butter
2oz icing sugar.
Metood :
Cream butter and sugar together then add flour to make soft dough. Add extra flour if its too soft to handle.
Cut out rounds fairly thickly then cook in med oven for 10 – 15 mins. When cooled, Sandwich together with jam and top with glace icing. Add colour and decorate as desired. Made these for years. Love them.
You’re making shortbread, of a kind, not empire biscuits.
Oh no! Not too buttery at all!!
You could try using coconut oil