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Belgian biscuits
Spiced jam sandwich biscuits
New Zealand's spiced jam sandwich biscuits with pink icing
A fixture of New Zealand bakery cabinets and tearooms, the Belgian biscuit (often called 'Belgium biscuit') is two spiced rounds sandwiched with raspberry jam, finished with pale pink icing and a scattering of red jelly crystals. It was known as the German biscuit until the First World War, when it was renamed. It is a cousin of the Scottish Empire biscuit, but the dough is quite different: soft brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and mixed spice make it darker and warmer than plain shortbread, and the pink icing replaces Empire's white glaze and cherry. Jelly crystals contain gelatine, so this version uses crushed freeze-dried raspberries; agar-based vegetarian jelly crystals work too. Chef's tip: sandwich and ice the biscuits only when they are completely cold, and spread the jam thinly; too much jam is the usual mistake, and it squeezes out and makes the tops slide.
- Total time
- 57 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the spiced biscuits
- 4 ½ oz buttersoftened
- 3 ½ oz soft brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 9 oz plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp cocoa powder
For the filling
- 3 ½ oz raspberry jamseedless if you prefer
For the icing
- 5 ½ oz icing sugar
- 1 ½ tbsp hot water
- 2 drops pink or red food colouring
To finish
- 2 tbsp freeze-dried raspberriescrushed (or agar-based vegetarian raspberry jelly crystals)
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Cream 4 ½ oz butter and 3 ½ oz soft brown sugar until light, about 3 minutes, then beat in 1 egg.
3 minStep 2: Sift in 9 oz plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp mixed spice, ½ tsp ground ginger and 1 tsp cocoa powder, and mix to a soft dough. Flatten into a disc, wrap and chill for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and line two trays with baking paper.
Step 4: Roll the dough out on a floured surface to 4 mm thick and cut 6 cm rounds, rerolling the scraps; you should get about 24. Set them on the trays.
Step 5: Bake for 10–12 minutes, until firm at the edges and just a little soft in the middle; they darken only slightly.
12 minStep 6: Cool on the trays for 5 minutes, then completely on a rack.
Step 7: Mix 5 ½ oz icing sugar with 1 ½ tbsp hot water and 2 drops pink or red food colouring to a thick, spreadable pink icing.
Step 8: Spread a thin layer of 3 ½ oz raspberry jam over half the biscuits and top with the rest. Spread a little icing over each top and sprinkle with 2 tbsp freeze-dried raspberries before it sets.
Step 9: Leave for 30 minutes for the icing to firm up. Store in a tin for up to five days; they soften slightly and get better after a day.
30 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does belgian biscuits take?
- About 57 minutes in total: 45 minutes to prepare and 12 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of soft brown sugar?
- White sugar + 1 tbsp molasses or treacle per 200g.
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