Empire Biscuit Recipe: Classic Scottish Double Biscuits - Scottish Scran (2024)

Want to know how to make Empire Biscuits? You’ve come to the right place! These classic sweet treats are made of two pieces of shortbread, sandwiched together with jam in the middle, this is then topped with icing and a glacé cherry or sometimes a gummy sweet.

These delicious biscuits actually go by many names, including but not limited to Imperial Biscuits,Deutsch Biscuits, German Biscuits, Belgian Biscuits (in New Zealand, although these can be a little different too), Linzer Biscuits, Double Biscuits, and even Freedom Biscuits!

Empire Biscuit Recipe: Classic Scottish Double Biscuits - Scottish Scran (1)

You might be able to tell from these names that the Empire Biscuit didn’t exactly originate in Scotland, but it is hugely popular here. So much so that it’s found in most bakeries, supermarkets, and it’s on the Greggs regional menu, like the Scottish Macaroni Pie used to be!

Scroll to the end or use the table of contents below to be taken straight to the Printable Recipe Card.

Table Of Contents

  1. Why are they called Empire Biscuits?
  2. Things you’ll need to make Empire Biscuits
  3. Ingredients for Empire Biscuits
  4. How to make Empire Biscuits – Step by step method
  5. Empire Biscuit Printable Recipe Card
  6. Other Biscuit Recipes to Try

Why are they called Empire Biscuits?

The Empire Biscuit was originally called many of the names above, including the German Biscuit or Deutsch Biscuit, but it’s said that the outbreak of WWI led to a more patriotic name instead, given this was the time of the British Empire.

The name stuck in Scotland, although in other locations it’s still sometimes called a German Biscuit or another variation.

One Scottish Scran Facebook follower even shared that they found them in a local Scottish bakery under the name Freedom Biscuits… a not so subtle nod to Scottish independence maybe?! Either way, they still tasted great apparently!

Empire Biscuit Recipe: Classic Scottish Double Biscuits - Scottish Scran (3)

Things you’ll need to make Empire Biscuits

Ingredients for Empire Biscuits

  • 300g Plain flour (2 cups)
  • 200g Salted Butter ( 1 cup)
  • 100g Caster Sugar (1/2 cup)
  • 1 Large Egg
  • Jar of Raspberry Jam (we like MacKays)
  • 180g Icing Sugar (Confectioners Sugar) (1.5 cups)
  • Glace/Candied Cherries for decorating
Empire Biscuit Recipe: Classic Scottish Double Biscuits - Scottish Scran (4)

How to make Empire Biscuits – Step by step method

This Empire Biscuit recipe is actually pretty easy to make! It just requires a few different stages to get to the finished product.

The biscuit used is usually shortbread, but with the addition of an egg. We used the same recipe and method as our Petticoat Tails Shortbread but cut the dough, using a cookie cutter, into individual pieces to cook.

When making shortbread you always want to try and limit any spread because the biscuits cook in the oven, and this is especially true when making it for Empire Biscuits as you want nice even biscuits.

Empire Biscuit Recipe: Classic Scottish Double Biscuits - Scottish Scran (5)

Making the Shortbread

Preheat the oven to 200 Celcius or 400 Fahrenheit, or 180C/350F for a fan oven.

Start by beating the butter until it is softened and just creamy, but not too fluffed up or airy. Then add the sugar and mix until just combined. You want the sugar to dissolve into the butter so a caster or fine sugar is best.

Next, add the flour along with a beaten egg and mix carefully until the dough begins to form clumps. At this point, you can get your hands into it and bring the dough together.

Tip onto a lightly floured surface and roll the dough out until it’s around 5mm or about a 1/4 inch in thickness.

You can use a cookie cutter like this one, or the rim of a glass to cut the dough into separate biscuits.

Use a spatula or a pastry/dough scraper to move the biscuits onto the baking tray, lined with baking paper or a reusable liner.

If you have time, chill for about 20 minutes in the fridge to help stop spreading.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes. The biscuits will stay soft but will start to brown slightly and that’s when they’re ready.

Take them out of the oven and allow to cool.

Decorating the biscuits

Match the biscuits into pairs. Spread jam over the top of one biscuit to form the base, then press the other biscuit on to the jam gently.Repeat for all the biscuits.

Mix the icing/confectioners sugar with just enough milk or water to form a thick but runny consistency. We start with a couple of tablespoons of liquid and then slowly added more until it was a suitable thickness.

You can either spread the icing with a teaspoon/knife or use a dipping method, holding the biscuit gently by the base and dip the top into the icing.

If you’re using a spoon or knife then start with a small amount in the middle of the biscuit and slowly spread it out, leaving a gap before the edge of the biscuit in case of extra spread.

Otherwise, dip the biscuit top side down into the icing to coat it, allow any excess to drip off, and then quickly flip over and pit back on a tray to allow it to harden. You want to try and avoid the icing running down the sides of the biscuit.

Place half a glace/candied cherry in the centre of the biscuit. Allow the icing to harden and then eat!

Empire Biscuit Recipe: Classic Scottish Double Biscuits - Scottish Scran (7)

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Empire Biscuit Printable Recipe Card

Yield: 12

How to Make Empire Biscuits

Empire Biscuit Recipe: Classic Scottish Double Biscuits - Scottish Scran (8)

Empire Biscuits are a Scottish classic! They may not have been invented here but they are a favourite and have stood the test of time, appearing in bakeries and supermarkets across the country. Now you can use this easy Empire Biscuit recipe to make your own!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Decorating Time 20 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 300g Plain flour (2 cups)
  • 200g Salted Butter ( 1 cup)
  • 100g Caster Sugar (1/2 cup)
  • Large Egg
  • Raspberry Jam (we like MacKays)
  • 180g Icing Sugar (Confectioners Sugar) (1.5 cups)
  • Glace/Candied Cherries for decorating

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 Celcius or 400 Fahrenheit, or 180C/350F for a fan oven.
  2. Start by beating the butter until it is softened just creamy, but not too fluffed up or airy. Then add the sugar and mix until just combined. You want the sugar to dissolve into the butter to a caster or fine sugar is best.
  3. Next, add the flour along with a beaten egg and mix carefully until the dough begins to form clumps. At this point, you can get your hands into it and bring the dough together.
  4. Tip onto a lightly floured surface and roll the dough out until it’s around 5mm or about a 1/4 inch in thickness.
  5. You can use a cookie cutter like this one, or the rim of a glass to cut the dough into separate biscuits.
    Use a spatula or a pastry/dough scraper to move the biscuits onto the baking tray, lined with baking paper or a reusable liner.
  6. If you have time, chill for about 20 minutes in the fridge to help stop spreading.
  7. Bake for approximately 20 minutes. The biscuits will stay soft but will start to town slightly and that’s when they’re ready. Take them out of the oven and allow to cool.
  8. Match the biscuits into pairs. Spread jam over the top of the biscuit that will be the base, and press the biscuit for the top gently down onto it.
  9. Mix the icing/confectioners sugar with just enough milk or water to form a thick but runny consistency. We start with a couple of tablespoons and then slowly add more until it’s ready. You can either spread the icing with a teaspoon/knife or use the dipping method. If you’re using a spoon or knife then start with a small amount in the middle of the biscuit and slowly spread it out, leaving a gap before the edge of the biscuit in case of extra spread. Otherwise, dip the biscuit top side down into the icing to coat it, allow any excess to drip off, and then quickly flip over and pit back on a tray to allow it to harden. You want to try and avoid the icing running down the sides of the biscuit.
  10. Place half a glace/candied cherry in the centre of the biscuit. Allow the icing to harden and then eat!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 313Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 115mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 1gSugar: 24gProtein: 3g

The nutritional data in this recipe is provided by a third party and these values are automatically calculated and offered for guidance only. Their accuracy is not guaranteed.

Other Biscuit Recipes to Try

  • Classic Abernethy Biscuits Recipe
  • The Most Excellent NYC Mini Egg Cookies Recipe
  • 4 Ingredient Chocolate Bourbon Biscuit Cake Recipe

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Empire Biscuit Recipe: Classic Scottish Double Biscuits - Scottish Scran (9)
Empire Biscuit Recipe: Classic Scottish Double Biscuits - Scottish Scran (2024)

FAQs

Are Empire biscuits Scottish or German? ›

Empire biscuit
Alternative namesEmpire Cookie, Imperial biscuit; double biscuit, German biscuit, Linzer biscuit, Deutsch biscuit, Belgian biscuit, biscuit bun
TypeCookie
Place of originScotland
2 more rows

What is the sweet on top of an empire biscuit called? ›

Jelly Tot or Glacé Cherries

The two most iconic toppings for an empire biscuit is a jelly tot gummy sweet, or half a glacé cherry. That's not to say you can't get creative or even seasonal with things like fondant holly leaf's.

What is a double biscuit? ›

You've come to the right place; we have the perfect recipe for you! These classic sweet treats are made of two pieces of shortbread sandwiched together with jam in the middle. They are then topped with icing and a glacé cherry or sometimes a gummy sweet.

What is the secret to biscuits? ›

Use Cold Butter for Biscuits

When the biscuit bakes, the butter will melt, releasing steam and creating pockets of air. This makes the biscuits airy and flaky on the inside. We default to our Land O Lakes® Salted Butter when baking biscuits.

What do Scottish people call American biscuits? ›

A Biscuit (U.S.) Is a Scone (U.K.)

The closest British equivalent to those buttery miracles is a scone, which ain't too bad either. Both baked goodies use flour, fat, liquid and a leavening agent.

What is a famous Scottish biscuit? ›

Shortbread or shortie is a traditional Scottish biscuit usually made from one part white sugar, two parts butter, and three to four parts plain wheat flour. Shortbread does not contain any leavening, such as baking powder or baking soda.

What is the famous cookie in Scotland? ›

Shortbread. An iconic Scottish treat, shortbread began with the medieval “biscuit bread”.

What is a womans biscuit? ›

Parents have adopted this habit of substituting words describing genitalia for more “cutesy” words: cooter, coochie, kitty, muffin are just examples of this on-going, creative list, and now biscuit can be added.

What is a biscuit slang for a girl? ›

1. a young woman, who is fig. 'sweet' and/or 'good enough to eat'; thus cold biscuit n., an unappealing woman; show biscuit n., a very attractive woman; also of a man [Williams (1994) offers examples of biscuit as a sexual organ, citing the appearance of biscuits as 17C 'brothel-fare'].

Should you chill biscuit dough before baking? ›

Whenever you're working with buttery doughs like biscuits, pie crust, shortbread, and the like, you're constantly reminded to chill the dough frequently, as well as chill the dough before baking time. Baking biscuits directly from frozen also keeps the biscuits from spreading and flattening out.

What does adding an egg to biscuits do? ›

As it turns out, adding hard-boiled egg yolks to your biscuit dough is a way to ward off an overworked, tough dough that can be the downfall of a butter-based pastry. When the trick is employed, the pastry shatters and then dissolves in your mouth quickly, tasting like a knob of flaky butter.

Can you use water instead of milk in biscuits? ›

2 cups of flour. 1 cup of liquid (milk, buttermilk, or water) 1/2 cup of fat (butter, stick margarine, or shortening)

What is the German brand of biscuits? ›

The Leibniz-Keks or Choco Leibniz is a German-Polish brand of biscuit or cookie produced by the Bahlsen food company since 1891.

What is Scotland's national biscuit? ›

Shortbread has been attributed to Mary, Queen of Scots, who in the mid-16th century was said to be very fond of Petticoat Tails, a thin, crisp, buttery shortbread originally flavoured with caraway seeds. There are two theories regarding the name of these biscuits.

What is the most popular German cookie? ›

We've come to the most popular German biscuit – Lebkuchen or known as gingerbread (“Lebkuchen” in English is “gingerbread”).

References

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