Jam Shortbreads

From James Martin, scrumptious buttery shortbreads with a jammy 'button' in the middle.

90g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
185g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
60g cornflour
30g ground almonds
250g Butter
1/2 tsp almond essence
raspberry or strawberry jam

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Grease a tartlet tray.

Sift together the 90g of icing sugar, the flour and cornflour into a bowl. Add the ground almonds, mixing well.

Cut the butter into cubes and add it to the dry ingredients. Using your fingertips, rub in the butter in until there are no visible lumps and the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.

Stir in the almond essence.

Tip the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly, just enough to form a smooth dough.

Roll out the dough and divide into small balls. Place a ball in each indentation in the tartlet tray, flattening the tops slightly with your fingers.

Bake for 8-12 minutes until light gold in colour.

Remove from the oven. Make a small round indentation in the top of each biscuit - use a marble or the tip of a wooden spoon handle.

Allow to cool for a few minutes, then turn the tartlet tray over and tap it on the work surface so that the shortbreads fall out. Be gentle as they are fragile while still warm.

When all the shortbreads are baked and cooled, dust the tops with some icing sugar, using a shaker or sieve.

Then using a teaspoon, fill the indentation with jam or other filling of your choice.

Servings: Makes 24
adapted from a recipe by James Martin
from James Martin: Sweet