INGREDIENTS
- 125g unsalted butter, softened
- 75g soft light brown sugar
- 75g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 medium free-range egg
- 200g plain flour
- 50g cocoa powder
For the filling
- 75g unsalted butter
- 150g icing sugar
- 1 tsp whole milk
- ½ tsp peppermint extract
- 200g blackcurrant jam
You’ll also need…
- 4cm round cutter, a small star or flower cutter and a piping bag
METHOD
- Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6 and line 2 baking sheets with non-stick baking paper. Put the 125g butter, brown sugar and caster sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat with a wooden spoon or electric mixer for a few minutes until slightly paler. Mix in the vanilla and egg. Gradually add the flour and cocoa powder, beating as you go, until the mixture starts to clump together. Bring it together with your hands, wrap in cling film and chill for 45 minutes.
- Remove the biscuit dough from the fridge and roll it out between 2 pieces of cling film to 5mm thick. Using a 4cm round cutter, cut out 16 circles, re-rolling as necessary. Use a small flower or star cutter to stamp out the centre of half the circles to make the biscuit tops.
- Arrange the biscuits on the baking sheets and bake for 12-14 minutes. Cool for a few minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To fill, use an electric mixer to beat the butter with the icing sugar, milk and peppermint until fluffy. Pipe in small blobs around the edge of the cooled biscuit bases, spoon 1 tsp jam into the centre, then add the tops.
