Practiced Imperfection: State Fair 2018: Scottish Empire Biscuits and Candied Cherries

Several years ago I submitted a Scottish Dundee cake to the Minnesota State Fair in the Ethnic Baking: Cake category. I was a bit miffed that the winners were all these towers of cookies that people in Norway call cakes. (They aren't. Norwegians: you need to get real cake.) This year I decided to submit in the Ethnic Baking: Cookie category, again with a Scottish treat: empire biscuits.

Empire biscuits are a type of shortbread-like cookie, usually cut as a fluted round and sandwiched with raspberry jam. They have a water glaze on top and are decorated with (traditionally) half of a candied cherry or (more recently) a gummy fruit candy or another type of colorful decoration. I spent a lot of time on candied cherries, only to realize that they tend to bleed into the glaze on the top. Sometimes it takes a day, but it makes them look less than perfect. This wouldn't be a problem for regular cookie-making, but for the Fair I wanted them to look amazing. Also, the fair has a rule about nothing being topped with fruit. Candied fruit isn't like regular fruit, but I didn't want to be disqualified. Thus, I swapped the cherry for a half of a Dot gummy candy. Not traditional, but tasty and it looked pretty nice!

I made...let's say A LOT...of these leading up to the Fair. I really think they are a good cookie. Not too sweet, so it is good for a dessert or snacktime. It is also a bit bulky so that one can be satisfying. Finally, it is a "simple" cookie that is also "fancy." Let's be honest: the sandwiching, glazing, and topping is a fussy process. But worth it!

Ultimately I won a 4th premium--essentially 4th place. This level of prize in Creative Activities comes with a check! For $2. A virtual fortune!

Also, I was interested in my direct competition. They never put the names or descriptions of the cookies with them, so I have to guess what the others are (see photo below). 1st place looked like a nut or spice filled cookie. 2nd place was definitely a cherry mini-biscotti of some kind and 3rd was a krumkakke or another type of cookie made with an iron and then rolled. 5th place was a nut-filled roll-up cookie (maybe nut kolaches?).

Perhaps the best part of the story--well, besides the pretty pink ribbon and its accompanying prize--is that this was the year that the judges didn't pick a stupid cookie tower to win in the cake category. There was nary a cookie-tower in sight! But there was a crazy cookie-basket in the cookie category (shown in the background of the photo below). Which...huh...that's a bit weird, right? How do you even eat this thing? And also, doesn't it look strangely like an upside-down cookie tower with a handle? Yeah. I'm with you: the Minnesotan fans of Norwegian baked goods definitely need to dial it back a bit with the cookie-towers/baskets. Just...let it go, guys.

Ingredients:

Cookies:

225 grams butter (Yep, you kinda need to use a food scale. Annoying, right? But this is 2 sticks of butter, more or less)
130 grams superfine granulated sugar (I know, using a food scale *and* specialty ingredients. I suck. But it really does make a difference. And I found this at Byerly's/Lunds, so you don't have to go to a special baking store, just a rich-people grocery store)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla (I used double-strength, because I love me some vanilla)
450 grams all-purpose flour

Glaze:

110 grams powdered sugar
4 ½ teaspoons water

Filling:

Raspberry jam, seedless (Did you expect me to make my own jam? Ha! No time!) I used a black raspberry all fruit-style jam.

Decoration:

Candied cherries (see ingredients and instructions below) or other decoration

Note: Traditionally empire biscuits are topped with half of a candied cherry, but more modern versions are often topped with a jelly candy (often Jelly Tots) or some other decoration. Since the MN State Fair rules do not allow fruit on entries, these are topped with Dots jelly candies.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper
Cream butter and sugar together until light & fluffy
Add the egg and vanilla, and mix until combined
Add flour and mix to form a dough.
Roll the dough on a floured surface to around 1cm thick.
Cut cookies with a round cutter and transfer to cookie sheet
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges of the biscuit are just golden.
When cool, spread underside of one biscuit with jam and sandwich with another.
Make water-icing by mixing powdered sugar and water.
Spoon icing onto the top of each sandwich and spread to cover (but do not let it drip down the sides)
Before icing dries, place decoration on top.

I looked at a bunch of different recipes and tried several versions until I settled on/came up with this one. The recipe makes 17 sandwiched biscuits with the cutter I used, but it could make more or less, depending on the cutter shape/size.

For Candied Cherries:

12-ounce jar maraschino cherries
3/4 cup superfine granulated sugar

Directions: Drain the cherries, reserving 1/4 cup of the juice. Combine juice and sugar in a medium-sized saucepan, and cook over medium heat until sugar is mostly dissolved. Add the cherries to the pot, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat so the liquid is simmering. Simmer for 45 to 55 minutes, checking on the cherries and stirring them gently every 10 minutes or so. When they are firm when you touch them with a spoon (the syrup should be about 235°F), remove the cherries from the pot with a slotted spoon or strainer to a parchment-lined plate. Allow to cool completely before using.

This is from a practice batch. Note that I used different flavors of Dots here, but for the final version I used only the dark red ones (cherry, I think?)