Super little recipe for visitors when they pop in and you want to impress with something homemade.  What I tend to do is make the biscuits and the butter cream ahead of time and then just assemble when I am ready to use.  I have to confess that I no longer pipe out the biscuits as it’s just too much effort – I just put a tablespoon of biscuit mixture (24g of dough) on my greased tray and then make a swirl on the top with a teaspoon.  It gives them that rustic look and everyone knows they are definitely not shop bought!

Ingredients

Biscuits – makes 12 biscuits

200g Butter

50g icing sugar

2 tsp vanilla essence

200g Plain flour

½ baking powder

Vanilla butter cream

200g butter

170g icing sugar

1 tsp Vanilla essence

To assemble

Raspberry jam

1. Begin by lining an oven sheet/tray with greaseproof paper and heat oven to 180 degrees
2. Then start to make the biscuits by whisking the butter with the icing sugar and mixing with an electric hand blender for around 5 minutes until nice and fluffy
3. Add the vanilla and continue to beat until totally incorporated
4. Then sift the flour, cornflour and baking powder into the mix and stir in with a spatula. This does take a bit of elbow grease so sometimes I use my hands!  Once combined you should have a tacky dough
5. Measure into little balls of around 24g and place on baking sheet, flatten slightly with a fork and make a little swirl on top (optional)
6. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes or just until they star to turn brown
7. In the meantime make the vanilla butter by combining the softened butter with the icing sugar, mixing well, then add the vanilla essence.  You should have a nice spreadable butter cream
8. When you are ready to serve, spread the butter cream on one side of a biscuit, raspberry jam of the other and sandwich together