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Empire Biscuits (Classic Scottish Iced Cookies with Raspberry Jam)

Empire Biscuits are simply classic Scottish bakery fare. Two shortbread type biscuits are sandwiched together, topped with icing and a candied cherry. 

Empire biscuits on Scottish tea towel

I grew up with these Empire biscuits (cookies) like children in the US grow up with chocolate chip cookies.

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I can’t even begin to tell you how wonderful they are, but my three year old niece recently turned down homemade chocolate chip cookies for an Empire biscuit. Not once, but twice, so that should tell you something!

homemade candied cherries (glacé cherries) in a bowl

Remember the candied cherry recipe I shared recently? This is the reason I shared it: a classic Empire biscuit has a bit of glacé cherry (or half of one) in the center.

Empire biscuits and a cup of tea

What are Empire Biscuits?

Apparently, they are a copy of  German Linzer Cookies/Biscuits. Edited Nov. ’19 – I was just in Linz last month and all the Linzer cookies truly reminded me of Empire biscuits! That’s because I knew of Empire biscuits before learning about the original Linzer cookies.

Why are they Called Empire Biscuits?

I never knew why they were called Empire biscuits, and simply accepted it. However, as we get older, our curiosity gets to us. I did a little digging and realized that the name was changed when WWII broke out; they were renamed “Empire Biscuits” – Wikipedia. If you don’t understand why they changed the name, it’s because the UK was at war with Germany and they didn’t want any association to their rival country with a beloved Scottish biscuit!

My Snow Cookies are based on Empire biscuits and have won two contests, so I’m not just saying they’re really good, they’re really good!

Snow Cookie in front of a Christmas tree

Can I freeze Empire biscuits?

Empire biscuits freeze exceptionally well, but do so before jamming them together and icing them. You want to defrost them first, then assemble and decorate and they’ll be just perfect!

NOTES: This recipe includes an egg, but you can easily make them more as traditional shortbread with this recipe. You can use either a straight or serrated biscuit/cookie cutter.

Classic Empire Biscuits Recipe

slightly adapted from Lofty Peak             makes 20 sandwich biscuits

FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW

Preheat oven to 400˚F (200˚C)

Mix the butter and sugar together until it forms a homogenous mixture. Add the egg and mix well. Next add the flour until it forms a crumbly consistency. 

Turn onto a floured surface and form into a smooth dough. Do not overwork the dough. Roll out quite thinly (about 1/8″) and cut into rounds with a cookie cutter. 

cutting out empire biscuits from dough

Place on a lined baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes (I turn them once through baking). Put on cooling rack. Then, when completely cool, choose a mate for each cookie.

empire biscuits on a cooling rack

Coat the tops with confectioner’s sugar mixed with milk or water (to a thick, but runny consistency as in the photo below).

Decorating Empire Biscuits

top of an empire biscuit

Top with a piece of candied cherry in the center, then sandwich together cookies with raspberry jam and enjoy with a cup of tea! When completely set, keep in an airtight container. Most households in the UK have a biscuit tin.

Empire biscuits with mug of tea

Magical!

Empire biscuit, partially eaten

Empire biscuit, partially eaten

Empire Biscuits (Classic Scottish Iced Cookies with Raspberry Jam)

Yield: 20
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

A classic Scottish biscuit topped with icing and filled with raspberry jam.

Ingredients

  • 227 g (2 sticks) butter
  • 85 g (1/3 c) sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 454 g (3 ½ cups) all purpose flour
  • 255 g (2 cups) confectioner's sugar
  • candied/Glacé cherries, to decorate
  • raspberry jam

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400˚F (200˚C)

  1. Mix the butter and sugar together until it forms a homogenous mixture. Add the egg and mix well. Next add the flour until it forms a crumbly consistency. 
  2. Turn onto a floured surface and form into a smooth dough. Do not overwork the dough. Roll out quite thinly (about 1/8") and cut into rounds with a cookie cutter.  
  3. Place on lined baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes (I turn them once through baking). Put on cooling rack. Then, when completely cool, choose a mate for each cookie.
  4. Coat the tops with confectioner's sugar mixed with milk or water (to a thick, but runny consistency as in the photo below).
  5. Top with a piece of candied cherry in the center, then sandwich together cookies with raspberry jam and enjoy with a cup of tea!

Notes

  • The number of biscuits the recipe will make depends on the size of the cutter you use.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 378Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 6mgCarbohydrates: 79gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 11g

Nutrition information is only an estimate.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a review by clicking on the 5 stars above, in the purple header (a form will appear) or tag me on Instagram! 😍

For another classic Scottish biscuit, you can’t beat shortbread!

Scottish shortbread in a thistle mold shape

More Scottish biscuits to try~

Hot Cross Shortbread Biscuits

Vanilla Custard Biscuits

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91 Comments

  1. If you sell a Recipe book with your great items. I would like info on your Recipe Book.

    I have had a British Shop for a few years. Now I just bake for my customers.

    Thank you,
    Looking forward in baking Empire Buscuits.

  2. Hello, Christina. I have a question about the cookie yield. Your recipe says it yields 20 cookies. Do you mean it yields 20 cookies all assembled or 20 cookies respectively without the assembly? Please let me know, thanks!

    1. 40 singles, 20 sandwiched biscuits, since the actual recipe is for two together. Also, it’s written in the main post. You can often find answers to your questions in the long version of the recipe with lots of tips, etc.

  3. Hi, Christina. I am new to your site and excited to try your recipes.

    I have a question regarding your flour weight.
    I always bake by weight for almost all of my ingredients.
    With this recipe, you have 1 cup of flour weighing 151.33 grams. Your easy Scottish shortbread has one cup weighing 123.63 grams.
    I have never baked a recipe with 1 cup of flour weighing 151.33 grams. Is this weight correct?

    Thanks

    1. Hi Leslie, the weight is correct, but you’re right on the cups being a bit off. I have edited the recipe to add ½ c of flour. Thanks for your eagle eye! Let me know how you like these!

  4. This is a lovely recipe but at 8 min. my cookies were all burnt. I had divided my dough and was rolling the second batch and the first all burnt