It’s creamy, sweet and tarte, and all that you’d ever want in a cookie that will remind you of your childhood.

For all Canadians wondering what a Jammie Dodger is, think of a less interesting Peek Frean: two sandwiched butter cookies with a cream filling and a chewy fruit centre. And even though they’re still my personal favourite boxed cookie variety, they will always remind me of that last-resort cookie – the last in the cupboard to be eaten, after you’ve ransacked the rest of the kitchen in search of other snack choices.

Case in point, WeWork offices in the UK always carry a fresh stock of cookies in their kitchen cookie jar. (I say “fresh,” because there’s usually someone who will claim a full plate of cookies as their own, as a lunch substitute (?), triggering a refill of the cookie jar.) Digestives, custard creams and bourbon chocolate biscuits are first to disappear, while Jammie Dodgers trickle out throughout the day – to my benefit!

Unsurprisingly, they’re even better homemade. My recommendation? Get the full nostalgic experience by twisting the two cookies apart and eat the filling separately. 

In the making

✘ Don’t skimp on the corn starch. It does a great job at stopping the dough from spreading in the oven, so you get defined cookie edges. 

✔ Because there are two cookies stacked on top of one another, with filling between, the whole sandwich can get thick. Roll out cookies between 1/8 – 1/4 inch thick, so the biscuits are crisp and the cookie:filling ratio isn’t 90% cookie. 

✔ Let assembled cookies sit overnight in an airtight container – the jam gets slighly tacky, which is a personal preference.