Jam-Filled Biscuits with Powdered Sugar

Name: Jam-Filled Biscuits with Powdered Sugar
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 27 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 1¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour; 6 tablespoons (85 g) cold unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch cubes; 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar; ¼ teaspoon (1½ g) fine sea salt; ⅓ cup (80 ml) whole milk, cold; 6 tablespoons (120 g) fruit jam (strawberry, raspberry, or apricot); ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender, buttery jam-filled biscuits topped with a light dusting of powdered sugar. These British-style biscuits are simple enough for everyday baking but elegant enough for tea time, with a jam center that bursts with flavor and a delicate sweetness on top.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 12 min
Wait: 5 min
Total: 32 min
Makes: 12 biscuits (6 sandwich pairs)

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Steps

Before you start

Cut butter into cold ½-inch cubes and chill until ready to use
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C)
Line baking sheets with parchment paper

1
Mix dry ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar, and ¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) fine sea salt.
- Set aside.
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Ready when: Ingredients are fully combined
Tip: Whisking aerates the flour, which helps create tender biscuits
2
Cut in cold butter
- Add 6 tablespoons (85 g) cold cubed unsalted butter to the flour mixture.
- Using a fork or pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour using a rubbing motion with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter still visible.
- Do not overwork.
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Ready when: Mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs with visible butter pieces
Tip: Keep the butter cold so it creates steam pockets in the oven, making flaky layers
3
Add milk and form dough
- Pour ⅓ cup (80 ml) cold whole milk into the flour-butter mixture and stir gently with a fork until the dough just comes together.
- Mix until there are no dry flour patches, but do not overwork or the biscuits will be tough.
- The dough should be soft and slightly sticky.
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Ready when: Dough is just combined with no dry flour remaining
Tip: Stop mixing as soon as the dough comes together; overworking develops gluten and makes tough biscuits
4
Cut out biscuits
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.
- Gently pat the dough to about ¼ inch (6 mm) thickness, taking care not to compress it.
- Using a 2-inch (5 cm) round cookie cutter or the rim of a glass, cut out 12 biscuit rounds.
- Re-roll scraps once if needed to get all biscuits.
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Ready when: 12 even rounds are cut out
Tip: A light touch when patting prevents the dough from becoming dense; a sharp downward cut (not a twisting motion) helps biscuits rise evenly
5
Add jam filling
- Place 6 biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Using a small spoon, dollop about ½ tablespoon (10 g) of fruit jam onto the center of each biscuit, leaving a ½-inch (1.25 cm) border around the edge.
- Top each with a second biscuit, pressing down very gently so the jam stays contained but doesn't ooze out.
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Ready when: Sandwich biscuits are assembled and jam is mostly contained
Tip: Don't overfill with jam or it will leak out during baking; leaving a border helps seal the biscuits
6
Bake until goldenOven 375°F / 190°C
- Bake in a preheated 375°F (190°C) oven for 10–12 minutes, until the tops are light golden brown and the edges are slightly darker.
- The biscuits should feel firm to a light touch but not hard.
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Ready when: Tops are light golden brown, edges darker, and biscuits feel set but not hard
Tip: Watch carefully in the final 2 minutes as they can brown quickly; every oven varies
7
Cool briefly
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the biscuits cool on the sheet for 2–3 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely (about 2 minutes more).
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Ready when: Biscuits are cool enough to handle but still slightly warm
Tip: Cooling on the sheet for a minute helps them firm up; don't skip this step
8
Dust with powdered sugar
- Once the biscuits are completely cool, place ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar in a small fine-mesh sieve.
- Hold the sieve a few inches above each biscuit and tap gently to create an even, delicate coating of powdered sugar.
- Serve immediately for best texture.
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Ready when: Biscuits are evenly dusted with a light coating of powdered sugar
Tip: Dust with powdered sugar only just before serving so it doesn't get damp and clump

Good to know

Tips

The key to tender biscuits is using cold butter and not overworking the dough; handle it as little as possible from start to finish
For a professional finish, sift the powdered sugar twice before dusting to remove any lumps
If you prefer less jam, use ¼ tablespoon (5 g) per biscuit, but err on the side of a generous filling for best flavor
These biscuits are best enjoyed the day they are baked, while they still have a delicate crumb structure

Storage & reheating

Store cooled biscuits (without powdered sugar) in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 weeks without the powdered sugar topping. Thaw at room temperature for 1 hour, then dust with fresh powdered sugar before serving. Do not refrigerate, as the biscuits will dry out faster.

Substitutions

fruit jam (strawberry, raspberry, or apricot) → Any seedless jam (blackberry, plum, marmalade, lemon curd). Use jams with similar thickness; thinner spreads may leak during baking
whole milk → Heavy cream or whole Greek yogurt thinned with 1 tablespoon water. Both produce slightly richer biscuits; adjust liquid if dough is too wet
cold unsalted butter → Cold coconut oil. Use refined coconut oil; the biscuits will be slightly less tender but still delicious
powdered sugar → Granulated sugar or cinnamon sugar. Powdered sugar gives the traditional finish, but these alternatives add different textures