A white ceramic dish filled with golden brown butter jam drop biscuits, each with a centre of glossy raspberry jam, set on a rustic wooden table.

Brown Butter & Sumac Jam-drop Biscuits

  • Prep: 20mins + 10min chill time
  • Cook: 14-16mins
  • Total: 45mins
  • Yield: 24–30 biscuits

You know those old-school jam drop biscuits? Sweet. Simple. A bit… beige. Well, these ain’t them.

I browned the butter, added a pinch of salt, and then because I’m a menace in the kitchen, I threw in a generous dusting of sumac. Why? Because I wanted a little sass. A little zing. A little who-is-she-and-why-do-I-want-to-eat-a-dozen-of-her energy.

These babies are nutty from the brown butter, citrusy from the sumac, and sticky-sweet in the middle. Think classic nana vibes with a hot queer makeover. Like if a jam drop went on holidays to the Middle East, came back with a tan, an attitude, and a suitcase full of spice.

Perfect with tea, better with wine, best eaten standing over the sink at midnight when you swore you were “just having one.”

Close-up of golden brown butter with foamy bubbles being stirred in a dish using a grey spatula.
Liquid gold in action, brown butter bubbling and swirling, ready to add deep nutty flavour to your jam drops.

Ingredients

 

  • 250g Unsalted butter (for browning – yields approx. 206–220g once browned)

  • ¾ cup (165g) Caster sugar

  • 1 Large egg (approx. 55g, room temp) lightly beaten

  • 2 ½ cups (375g) Plain flour

  • ¼ tsp Salt

  • 1–2 tsp Sumac (depending how bold you’re feeling)

  • ½ cup (120g)  Jam (loosened with a spoon)

Unbaked balls of sumac brown butter biscuit dough spaced evenly on a parchment-lined baking tray.
Ready to roll! Brown butter biscuit dough with a hint of sumac, shaped into perfect balls before baking.

Method

  1. Brown the butter, chill until it’s firm but soft (like regular softened butter).

  2. Cream the brown butter and sugar.

  3. Beat in egg and salt.

  4. Mix in flour and sumac.

  5. Roll into 3cm balls, flatten, indent with thumb or spoon. Chill for 10mins.

  6. Fill with jam.

  7. Bake at 180°C (160°C fan) for about 14 minutes, or until lightly golden.

Hands spooning raspberry jam into indentations of unbaked sumac brown butter biscuits on lined baking trays.
The magic moment, each buttery biscuit gets its jewel of jam before hitting the oven.

Daddy Tips

  • Brown that butter, babe: Take your time, let it go nutty and golden. It should smell like toasted nuts.

  • Chill it down: After browning, pop the butter in the fridge until it firms back to softened butter consistency. You can’t cream it while it’s liquid.

  • Weigh it post-brown: Butter loses water when browned. If you started with 250g, expect about 206–220g once cooled, any less then that top it up to 220g with softened butter.

  • Use caster sugar: It creams better and gives you a finer crumb. But if you’re stuck with regular sugar, don’t panic, it still works.

  • Don’t skip the salt: Salt = flavour. No one wants a bland biscuit.

  • Sumac = citrus sparkle: Start with 1–2 tsp depending how sassy you’re feeling. It adds a tangy pop that plays beautifully with the jam.

  • Loosen the jam: Give it a little stir before spooning it in. Cold, stiff jam will resist you. 

  • Indent with purpose: Use your thumb, a spoon, or the back of a rounded utensil, just be consistent, so your biscuits bake evenly & don’t stress if they crack on the edges, it adds to the rustic charm.

  • Bake ‘til golden at the edges: Around 14 minutes at 180°C (160°C fan). You want a soft middle with a little crunch on the outside.

  • Cool on the tray first: They’re fragile straight out of the oven. Let them set before transferring to a wire rack (or your mouth).

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