Scottish Snowballs

• total time: 1 hour 11 minutes

Ingredients

We’re officially in festive territory now, and I wanted to begin the month with something properly old-fashioned, properly comforting, and very, very wonderful.....Scottish Snowballs. ❄️

Soft, cakey little domes sandwiched with raspberry jam, rolled in coconut and icing sugar, the kind of bake that tastes like childhood and church fêtes and something your gran would wrap in greaseproof paper “for later.”

If you’ve never made them before, you’re in for a treat. Save this for the weekend, pop the kettle on, and let the Christmas season begin.

For the cakes: ✨

250g self-raising flour

1/3 tsp baking powder

Pinch of flaked salt @maldonsalt

1 tbsp vanilla bean paste @taylorandcolledge

80g golden caster sugar

90g butter

1 egg + 1 egg yolk

2 tbsp milk

For assembling:

150g raspberry jam @bonnemaman_uk

120g desiccated coconut

200g icing sugar

4–5 tbsp water

Pink gel colouring (optional but traditional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan), line two baking trays with parchment. Pinch the butter, vanilla and dry ingredients together until a breadcrumb texture. Add the eggs one by one, then the milk.

Roll little 20–24 little balls. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until lightly golden. Cool completely.

Spread jam onto the flat side of half the cakes and top with the other half to create little sandwiches.

Place each sandwich into a muffin tin as you go, it helps them keep their shape and stops them toppling over as you assemble, ice, and coat them.

Mix the icing sugar with the water until smooth and pourable.

Tint with a touch of pink gel colouring if you want that classic bakery look.

Pour the coconut into a shallow bowl.

Working one at a time, dip each snowball into the icing, let the excess drip off, then roll in the coconut.

Pop each one back into the muffin tin to hold its shape while it sets .Leave for an hour then enjoy!