Jam Drops

Soft, tender cookies with a gooey, fruity centre, jam drops are delicious as they are timeless. A staple of bakeries around the corner to the biggest supermarkets, these are super easy to make and bake. I can also confidently report that these are kid-approved. The first were politely accepted, seconds were requested, thirds were pilfered.

Of course the best thing about making your own cookies is that, not only will they taste better than anything store-bought*, but you can always tweak the mix to just how you want it. Go crazy with your jam selection (or just use whatever is in the back of the cupboard), or leave them in the oven for a little bit longer to get a bit of extra crunch - in this case, that is totally recommended. If you want to make sure that the drops holds their shape and don't spread too much, place the dough in the fridge to chill for about half an hour before using it.

Getting the amount of jam in the drop without it overflowing may seem like a precarious balancing act. So it doesn't bleed into the cookie, use a jam with a thick, firm consistency, but the best trick is to semi-fill the cookie when they go in the oven. This should bake enough of the jam into the drop, and you can then top them up as soon as they're out of the oven so it can all cool and set together.

*Disclaimer: Hopefully! The bakery might be super-amazing, or you might be having a bad baking day. Sometimes the secret ingredient of love can't cover up the taste of burnt cookies...