Heart shaped empire biscuits (AKA imperial cookies) sandwiches two tender shortbread cookies with a raspberry jam filling then topped with a powdered sugar almond icing. A classic Scottish bakery-style treat!
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Imperial Cookies
These empire biscuits are similar to a shortbread cookie but a little less dense. They have a super soft texture like Swig cookies or these almond cherry cookies and have a buttery and sweet flavor.
They are filled with raspberry jam like a linzer cookie and have been a staple at English tea parties and Scotland cookie trays for years. I think they are the perfect Valentine’s Day dessert!
Empire cookies, sometimes also called German biscuits, are traditionally made into circles with a little maraschino cherry on top, but I thought it would be fun to turn them into hearts for Valentine’s Day. This classic Scottish iced cookie are simple yet so delicious, especially with the homemade raspberry jam filling. My kids absolutely LOVED them!
How to Make Empire Biscuits
- Mix the dough. Cream together the softened butter and powdered sugar with an electric mixer. Once it’s soft and fluffy, add in the egg + egg yolk and beat on medium. Then mix in the vanilla extract. Slowly mix in the cake flour and salt on low speed until just combined. Then press the dough between two sheets of wax paper and place in the fridge for about an hour.
- Roll and cut. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin until it’s about 1/8″ thick. Then press the cookie cutter into the dough and carefully transfer the cookie onto a lined baking sheet. Repeat until all of the dough is gone. You should have 32 cookies.
- Bake in oven. Bake at 350°F until the edges are slightly golden, about 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on the pan for a few minutes, then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Fill with jam. Once cool, flip the empire cookie over and spread jam onto the bottom. Then place another cookie gently on top. Repeat until all cookies are sandwich together. Then whisk together the confectioner’s sugar, hot water and extract until desired consistency and spread on top of the cookies.
Baking Tips
- Flour. Cake flour gives the empire biscuit recipe a softer, more delicate texture. You can definitely still use all purpose flour, just make sure you sift it first.
- Chill the dough. I like to refrigerate my dough for at least an hour, so that it is easy to work with when rolling it out.
- Thickness. Make sure to roll the dough out to about 1/8″ thick since you’ll be stacking two together. Since they are a thinner cookies, you also want to watch them closely in the oven so they don’t burn. They should just have a slight light golden edge.
Variations
- Jam. I happened to have some leftovers of my raspberry jam recipe to use up, but any type will do. I think I’m going to try strawberry jam next.
- Icing. The powdered sugar icing on top adds the perfect hint of sweetness to balance out the imperial cookies. I added almond extract for a boost of flavor, but you could sub with vanilla or even lemon.
- Decorations. Traditionally empire biscuits are cut out into circles, with a maraschino cherry (or glacé cherry) on top. To decorate for Valentine’s Day, I made heart-shaped cookies with a heart sprinkle on top. You could easily switch up the cookie cutter and sprinkles for any holiday.
More cookie recipes with jam that we love include thumbprint cookies and peanut butter and jelly cookies!
More Valentine’s Day Dessert Recipes
Empire Biscuits
Equipment
- 2" cookie cutter
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter , softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups cake flour , can sub for sifted all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
Filling
- ¾ cup raspberry jam
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons hot water
- 1 teaspoon almond extract , could also substitute with vanilla
Instructions
- Combine 3/4 cup butter and 1 cup powdered sugar in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add one 1 egg and 1 egg yolk then beat on medium speed until combined. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and beat again.
- Chill dough. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add 2 3/4 cups cake flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Press the dough between two sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Roll out the dough 1/8″ thick onto a baking mat, parchment paper or a well floured surface. Press the cookie cutter into the dough and carefully move to the baking sheet. Repeat until you have 32 cookies.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are slightly light golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan for 2 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Add jam. Once the cookies are cooled, spread the raspberry jam onto the back side of the cookies. Press another cookie gently on top.
- Whisk together the icing ingredients in a small bowl until it is smooth and glossy. Use a small spatula to frost the top of the cookies. Add a heart sprinkle to the center if
Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Recipe adapted from the Butter Celebrates Cookbook
Enjoy!! :)
Laurie
Sooo delicious!!! And really pretty easy to make overall. It just takes a bit of time to do the icing, but it’s worth it. And they look so beautiful!
Kylie
Can these be frozen fully prepared, or just the cookie base part?
Sarah @IHeartNaptime
Hi Kylie, they can be frozen fully prepared.
Kylie Grant
Excellent, thank you! :)
Dana
Did you use salted or unsalted butter? Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I Heart Naptime Community
Hi Dana, I use unsalted :)
Nellie Tracy
Absolutely fabulous recipe! Can’t wait to make these for my kids for Valentine’s Day
Izzy
I can’t wait to try this delectable recipe for my valentines day cooking. The heart shapes are a nice touch!
Jamielyn Nye
I hope you enjoy! :)
Dianne Barton
Jamielyn, thanks for the Empire Cookie Recipe. When I was a child my Scottish grandmother used to always bring them to me when she visited. I have always loved them. Will definitely try to find time to whip some up for next week!
Vivian | stayaliveandcooking
They DO look fancy! And so cute – perfect for Valentines day. Ohh and can I say that I LOVE that ‘spread the love’ butter knife? I think I need one in my life!