Step 1: Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.

Step 2: 2Beat the butter, caster sugar and vanilla essence in a medium mixing bowl with electric beaters until pale and creamy. Sift the plain flour and baking powder together. Use a wooden spoon to mix the dry ingredients and milk into the butter mixture. Mix to a soft dough.

Step 3: 3Roll small balls of biscuit mixture with lightly floured hands and place on the prepared baking try about five centimetres apart. Flatten each ball with a spatula to make them about 3.5 centimetres in diameter. Make a two centimetre-wide indent in the centre of each with your finger or the end of a wooden spoon.

Step 4: 4Bake in preheated oven for 10 – 12 minutes or until lightly golden, remove from the oven and fill each indent generously with jam and bake for another 5 – 10 minutes.

Step 5: Stand on the baking tray for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining biscuit dough and jam. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.