Vanilla + Plum Jam Thumbprint Biscuits

For August’s Candle Club box, Worn Pages felt bookish, nostalgic and a little rainy-day cozy, so these Vanilla + Plum Jam Thumbprint Biscuits fit perfectly.

They’re soft, buttery and just sweet enough, with a little spoonful of plum jam in the centre. They’re also very toddler-friendly to make.

Rolling the dough into balls, pressing little thumbs into the centres and spooning in the jam is exactly the kind of baking that feels slightly chaotic but very worth it.

Vanilla + Plum Jam Thumbprint Biscuits

You’ll need:

125g softened butter

⅓ cup caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg yolk

1 cup plain flour

¼ cup cornflour

Plum jam, or whatever jam you have on hand

Method:

Cream the butter and sugar until soft, then mix in the vanilla and egg yolk.

Stir through the flour and cornflour until a soft dough forms.

Roll into small balls and place onto a lined baking tray.

Press your thumb gently into the centre of each biscuit and add a small spoonful of plum jam.

Bake at 170°C for around 12–15 minutes, until just golden around the edges.

Let them cool, put the kettle on and find something good to read.

Toddler Friendly - This is a really nice recipe to make with toddlers because there are plenty of easy jobs they can help with. Let them roll the dough, make the thumbprints, choose which jam goes in the middle or line the finished biscuits up on the tray.

The Worn Pages pairing

I made these to go alongside August’s Worn Pages Candle Club collection.

Worn Pages was inspired by rainy afternoons, old books, soft leather and the feeling of getting completely lost in a story.

The scent blended mirabelle plum, distressed leather and warm Madagascar vanilla, so plum jam and vanilla biscuits felt like a very obvious pairing.

Light the candle, make a plate of biscuits, put the kettle on and disappear into a book for a while.

That’s a pretty good winter afternoon, if you ask me.

The Best Homemade Hot Chocolate (Using a Block of Whittaker's Chocolate)

There are hot chocolates, and then there are real hot chocolates.

The kind made with actual chocolate instead of powder. The kind that fills the kitchen with the smell of melting chocolate and turns an ordinary winter evening into something worth slowing down for.

This recipe has become a favourite in our house because it uses ingredients we almost always have on hand and takes less than five minutes to make.

Rich, velvety and wonderfully indulgent, it's the closest thing to a café-style hot chocolate without leaving home.

Light a candle, grab your favourite mug and settle in.

Ingredients

• 150g Whittaker's Creamy Milk Chocolate

• ½ cup cream

• 1 ½ cups standard milk

• Marshmallows, to serve

• Extra grated chocolate, to serve

Method

1. Melt the chocolate

Pour the cream into a small saucepan and heat until it is just beginning to simmer.

Remove from the heat and add the chopped Whittaker's chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate has completely melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy.

2. Add the milk

Return the saucepan to low heat and gradually whisk in the milk.

Continue heating until the hot chocolate is steaming and warmed through. Avoid bringing it to a boil, as this can affect the texture.

3. Serve

Place a few marshmallows in the bottom of your favourite mugs. Or roast some on an open fire and add to the top. Finish with a little grated chocolate on top.

A Little Batch Tip

For the ultimate cozy evening, pair this hot chocolate with a good book, a crackling fireplace video and your favourite candle burning nearby.

Our current pick? Autumn Harvest — warm apple, cinnamon and vanilla notes that smell remarkably similar to something fresh from the oven.