Old Fashioned Jam Drops (2024)

Published: Feb 6, 2018 · Modified: Mar 7, 2024 by Libby Hakim · 9 Comments

They may be old-fashioned, but who can resist Jam Drops?

No wonder they are still so popular on supermarket shelves and in suburban bakeries today.

It's always tempting to take the easy road and buy some of your favourite biscuits.

But making your own own jam drops is worth the effort.

First, they'll ALWAYS taste even better than any store-bought version.

Second, you can make them just how you like them.

You can go sparse with the jam. Or if you prefer a little extra jam, go right ahead. (Though make sure you read the instructions below so your jam doesn't run during the baking process.)

If you prefer raspberry jam instead of strawberry jam, raspberry it is.

You could even make them extra special by making up a batch of Nana Ling's Super Simple Strawberry Jam and using your own jam in the recipe.

Isn't that the best thing about home cooking - making things to suit your liking?

The recipe

This recipe is one of Nana Ling's original handwritten recipes and these little Jam Drop biscuits are super simple to prepare and bake off.

As always, I've tested and tweaked the original recipe for modern times.

You'll see the old fashioned jam drops recipe below but keep scrolling right until the end to find the recipe card which includes a precise list of ingredients and instructions.

Ingredient notes

To make this recipe, you'll need:

• caster sugar
• butter
• milk
• egg
• plain flour(all purpose flour)
• cornflour(cornstarch)
• baking powder
• salt
• strawberry or raspberry jam.

Tips on using this old fashioned Jam Drops Recipe

It's the rounded shape and neat little drop of jam that makes these biscuits so adorable.

While it's a relatively simple recipe, there are a few things to keep in mind to make sure your biscuits come out of the oven looking just right.

Tip 1. Bring the butter and eggs to room temperature first

This will help the ingredients combine better and create a smoother biscuit mixture – which means a better textured biscuit.

Tip 2. Don't cut corners: chill the biscuit mixture

The recipe requires the mixture to be chilled for 10 minutes before rolling into balls. This will make it a lot easier to roll the mixture into balls.

You will also place the baking trays into the fridge for 30 minutes before baking. This helps the biscuits keep their lovely rounded shape.

Please, don't skip these steps!

Tip 3: Don't overfill with jam

As you follow the recipe, you'll use your finger to make a small indent in the top of each ball.

If you prefer only a tiny amount of jam, use your pinkie to create a smaller indent. Use your thumb to create a larger indent if you prefer more jam.

Whatever size the indent, just be sure that you DO NOT go past the top of the indent when filling with jam. If you do, the jam may spill over and run during the baking process.

Enjoying your biscuits

Nana Ling's Jam drops can be enjoyed for up to one week if you store the biscuits in an airtight container.

If you love these old-fashioned biscuits, you might like these ones too:

• Spicy Fruit Roll Biscuits
• Cornflake Cookies
• Anzac Biscuits
• Iced Vovos
• Monte Carlos
• Butternut Cookies.