Rain Drops and Jam Drops

Yet another rainy day although this time it's becoming an issue. Brisbane is flooding! My favourite park...gone! The river is rising, people are getting edgy and it seems like the entire population is heading to Indro shopping mall. It must be serious. So what do I do? Make some jam drops. Here is the recipe for Bill Granger's Jam Buttons - it's pretty delicious. They turned out light and fluffy which is excellent if that's your kind of thing. I'm more impartial to a stodgier, jam-ier (apologies for the word invention) version of ye old jam drop (thanks to Nanna whose jam drops will always be the best in the world). Nonetheless they are rather scrumptious so give it a whirl!

Jam Button's (taken from Bill Granger's Simply Bill cookbook)

250g unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar
zest of 1 orange
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
250g (2 cups) plain flour, sifted
90g (1 cup) desiccated coconut
raspberry jam
blackberry jam
apricot jam

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Line a large tray with baking paper. Beat the butter, sugar and orange zest with electric beaters until pale. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat until combined. Fold in the flour and coconut. Roll tablespoon measures of the dough into balls, arrange on a baking tray about 2cm apart and press to flatten slightly. Make an indent in the centre of each one with your thumb. Place half a teaspoon of jam in each indent. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Leave to cool on a wire rack. Makes 25-30.