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.
Summarise & Save this recipe on:
Summarise & Save this recipe on:
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.
Save this recipe!
Want to save this recipe for later? Pop your email below and come back to it when you’re ready to bake.
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)
