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Hello and welcome to day 5 of the recipe advent calendar! Today, we’re making one of the best-looking biscuits of the entire advent calendar (at least in my opinion). These pear & jasmine biscuits use a Viennese dough, which is piped into a pear shape, filled with pear jam, and baked. They’re somewhere between a classic Viennese biscuit and a thumbprint cookie.
I’ve added jasmine tea to mine, partly because I had some lying around, but mostly because I love the flavour of pear with tea. You can use any tea you like; Earl Grey, chai, and classic green tea all work beautifully. Or, you can leave the tea out altogether. I’ve used loose-leaf tea to create the pear stalks, but if you don’t have any, empty vanilla pods are also a great option.
Let’s get started!
Pear & Jasmine Jam - makes 2 jars (more than you’ll need for the biscuits but it’s nice to have leftovers!)
500g firm pears, peeled and diced
200g caster sugar
10g jasmine tea
1/2tsp citric acid or juice of 1 lemon
Green food colouring (optional)
Method - Pear & Jasmine Jam
Combine all the ingredients in a medium pan.
Bring to the boil, then reduce to a low/medium heat so it’s just bubbling.
Simmer for around 30 minutes until the temperature reaches 104°C. If you don’t have a thermometer, test the set by placing a spoonful on a chilled plate.
For a smooth jam to fill the biscuits, give it a quick blitz with a hand blender. You can skip this step if you prefer a chunkier texture.
Because I wanted these biscuits to be a part of my green theme, I added a tiny bit of green food colouring.
Store the jam in sterilised jars for up to six weeks, or longer if properly sealed.