Two buttery biscuits, a generous layer of raspberry jam, sweet white icing and a cherry on top. Sometimes the simplest things are the best.
Walk into a traditional Scottish bakery and you’ll almost certainly find them sitting proudly beside the snowballs, caramel shortcake and iced doughnuts.
Empire biscuits.
Beautifully simple, gloriously sweet and quite possibly responsible for more childhood sticky fingers than any other biscuit in Scotland.
There’s nothing particularly fancy about them. No elaborate decorations, no unusual ingredients and certainly no need for a qualification in French patisserie.
Just two delicate shortbread-style biscuits sandwiched together with jam, covered in icing and finished with a little piece of glacé cherry.
And yet, when made properly, they’re absolutely delicious.
A Biscuit With a Curious History
The Empire biscuit has a rather interesting past.
It was once commonly known as the German biscuit, but during the First World War, anti-German sentiment led to the name falling out of favour.
The name Empire biscuit became established, although variations of this sweet treat have appeared under different names in other countries.
In Scotland, however, it became a familiar fixture of traditional bakeries.
For generations, empire biscuits have appeared at family gatherings, school fêtes, afternoon teas and bakery counters.
They’re the sort of treat that rarely needs an introduction.
And unlike some fashionable desserts, they haven’t required reinventing every six months to remain popular.
Traditional Scottish Empire Biscuits
Makes: Approximately 12 sandwich biscuits
Preparation: 20 minutes, plus chilling
Baking: 12–15 minutes per tray
Ingredients
For the biscuits:
- 225g unsalted butter, softened
- 100g caster sugar
- 275g plain flour
- 50g cornflour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the filling and decoration:
- 100g raspberry jam
- 200g icing sugar, sifted
- 2–3 tablespoons water
- 6 glacé cherries, halved
Method
1. Cream the butter and sugar
Place the softened butter and caster sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat together until pale, smooth and creamy.
Add the vanilla extract and mix briefly.
2. Make the biscuit dough
Sift the plain flour and cornflour into the mixture.
Gently combine until a soft dough forms. Avoid overworking it, as this can make the finished biscuits less tender.
Wrap the dough and refrigerate for approximately 30 minutes.
3. Roll and cut
Preheat your oven to 170°C fan (190°C conventional).
Line two baking trays with baking parchment.
Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to approximately 5mm thick.
Using a round biscuit cutter, approximately 6cm in diameter, cut out 24 circles.
Place them on the prepared trays, leaving a little space between each.
4. Bake until lightly golden
Bake for approximately 12–15 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn pale golden.
The biscuits should remain fairly light in colour.
Allow them to cool on the trays for several minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
They’ll firm up as they cool.
5. Add the raspberry jam
Once completely cool, turn half the biscuits upside down.
Spread a generous teaspoon of raspberry jam over each one, leaving a small border around the edge.
Place the remaining biscuits on top and press gently together.
6. Make the icing
Mix the sifted icing sugar with a little water at a time until you have a thick, smooth icing.
It should spread easily but shouldn’t be so runny that it slides down the sides.
Spoon a little icing onto each biscuit and spread carefully towards the edges.
7. The finishing touch
Place half a glacé cherry in the centre of each iced biscuit.
Leave the icing to set before serving.
And there you have it: twelve beautiful homemade Scottish empire biscuits.
Five Secrets to a Better Empire Biscuit
Use proper butter. Butter provides the rich flavour and delicate texture that make these biscuits so enjoyable.
Don’t roll the dough too thinly. Around 5mm gives a lovely biscuit that holds its shape without becoming hard.
Choose a good raspberry jam. A slightly tart jam balances the sweetness of the icing beautifully.
Allow the biscuits to cool completely. Warm biscuits can cause the jam to soften and the icing to become difficult to control.
Make them a day ahead. Many people find empire biscuits even nicer the following day, once the jam has had time to soften the biscuit layers slightly.
A Few Delicious Variations
Although the traditional raspberry version is difficult to beat, there’s plenty of room for a little creativity.
Lemon Empire Biscuits: Add finely grated lemon zest to the dough and a few drops of lemon juice to the icing.
Strawberry Empire Biscuits: Replace the raspberry jam with a good-quality strawberry preserve.
Chocolate Empire Biscuits: Replace 25g of the plain flour with cocoa powder and finish with chocolate icing.
Mini Empire Biscuits: Use a smaller cutter to make bite-sized versions, perfect for afternoon tea or special occasions.
How to Store Your Empire Biscuits
Store the finished biscuits in an airtight container in a cool place for approximately three to four days.
Place baking parchment between layers to protect the icing.
Unfilled, uniced biscuits can also be frozen for up to three months. Defrost them completely before adding the jam and decoration.
A Little Piece of Scotland on a Plate
There’s something lovely about recipes that pass from one generation to the next.
They don’t need expensive ingredients or complicated techniques. They survive because people genuinely enjoy making and eating them.
Empire biscuits are exactly that sort of recipe.
A familiar Scottish favourite, equally at home on a beautiful afternoon tea stand or beside an ordinary mug of tea at the kitchen table.
And if your icing turns out a little crooked or your cherries aren’t perfectly centred?
Never mind.
They’ll taste every bit as good.
From the Tearoom at The Scunnered Lady Retreat — where Scottish baking traditions are always welcome, and nobody is counting how many biscuits you’ve had.
Sharing tips, tales and mild irritation since 2026.