Jam Drops: easy Saturday baking

Jam drops would have to be one of the easiest biscuits to make. I turned to Donna Hay's trusty Modern Classics 2 book for the recipe this time. They were certainly yummo but the jam 'hole' (for some reason that sounds rude) I made in the dough wasn't as deep when they finished baking as I would have liked. Nevertheless they had the expected buttery crumbly texture with oozy jam centres.

Is there a secret to making the jam hole deep and stay deep when baked? If there is, I'd like to know if anyone out there is listening. Maybe I had too much butter? Maybe make the hole wider? I tried a number of batches in different sizes as I made double the mixture the recipe calls for, but they all seemed to flatten out too much (well, for my liking). Anyway they tasted just fine and I used some of my batch as part of a birthday present for a family member - all nicely packed up in a jar. Happy Birthday Barb!

Kind of looks like a giant nipple right? Oops!!

Jam Drops - adapted from Donna Hay's Modern Classics 2

180g butter softened
1 cup caster sugar
1 egg
2 cups plain flour, sifted
1/2 tsp baking powder
jam to decorate (I used raspberry)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and creamy.

Add the egg and beat well. Stir through the flour and baking powder and mix to a dough. (Because I wasn't in the baking 'zone' and made a double batch, I used my dough hooks to get through mixing the flour and baking powder in).

Roll 2 teaspoons of the mixture into balls. Place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper, allowing room for the biscuits to spread (and mine did spread!!!). Flatten slightly and press a finger into the middle of each ball of dough to make an indent.

Fill the holes with jam.

Bake for 10 minutes or until golden. Add a little more jam to the holes while the biscuits are hot (Totally do this - it's for your own good!). Cool on wire racks.

Makes about 60 according to Donna. According to me about 40 (think mine were bigger than 2 tsp's and I even made double the mixture).

Enjoy!

Bxx

PS. If anyone has any tips on making the hole stay as a hole - let me know!!

Little chicken and leek pies

B and I are BIG fans of small food. Finger food, bite sized morsels and small versions of usually large sized foods are for some reason, way more tempting. Perhaps it is because you tell yourself it is ok to eat more because the food is small! Those small bite sized morsels of beautifully made savoury or sweet bites that just pop straight into your mouth. Maude and Betty family get togethers are usually made up of a few different bite size beauties (which I will share with you over time) so if you're having a party or a small gathering or just some mates over to watch the footy (Go Lions!) these pies are great for big and small people alike.

Oh and guess what? You don't have to make your own pastry! So for all you out there who give up on pastry recipes there is no excuse now. This is as easy as pie (pardon the pun!).

The recipe comes from a great book of mine called The Australian Women's Weekly - The Complete Book of Modern Classics page 340

preparation time 30 minutes
cooking time 40 minutes (plus cooling time)
makes 36 depending on the size you do

You will need
3/4 cup (180ml) chicken stock
1/2 cup (125ml) dry white wine  (If you're like B you may need to be quick and make these before you drink all the wine.....sorry B!!)
2 single chicken breast fillets (340g)
20g butter
1 medium leek (350g), chopped finely
1 trimmed celery stalk (100g), chopped finely
1 tablespoon plain flour
2 teaspoons fresh lemon thyme leaves (makes a beautiful flavour)
1/2 cup (125ml) cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 sheets ready-rolled shortcrust pastry
3 sheets ready-rolled puff pastry
1 egg yolk, beaten lightly
lemon thyme leaves, extra

1 Combine stock and wine in medium saucepan, bring to a boil. Add chicken, return to a boil, cover, reduce heat, simmer about 10 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through. Remove from the heat, stand chicken in cooking liquid 10 minutes, remove chicken, reserve 3/4 cup (180ml) cooking liquid, chop chicken finely.

2 Melt butter in medium saucepan - fry pan, cook leek and celery, stirring, until soft. Add flour and thyme, stir until bubbling. Gradually stir in reserved liquid and cream, cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in chicken and mustard. Remove from heat, cool slightly.

3 Preheat oven to hot (220 degrees/200 fan forced).
Grease three 12-hole patty pans (I used a 24 hole one and a muffin tray)

4 Using 7cm cutter, cut rounds from shortcrust pastry, press into prepared pans. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the chicken mixture into each pastry case. Using 6cm cutter, cut rounds from the puff. Top chicken mixture with pastry lids, brush with egg yolk, sprinkle with extra thyme leaves. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes or until browned. Note: Do not overfill or the pies will overflow.

PS You could always make this into one big pie also!

Enjoy M x