Barbara Pascoe of Queensland is looking for a jam drops recipe that does not have custard powder in it. Here is the traditional recipe but we'd like your help on this one!

Here's how:

1. Preheat the oven to moderate 180C and line two baking trays with baking paper.

2. Cream the butter and sugar in a small bowl with electric beaters until light and fluffy. Add the milk and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the sifted flour and custard powder and mix to form a soft dough. Roll heaped teaspoons of the mixture into balls and place on the trays.

3. Make an indentation in each ball using the end of a wooden spoon. Fill each hole with a little jam. Bake for 15 minutes, cool slightly on the trays, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

From: Cooking a Commonsense Guide (Murdoch Books).

Contact us with your recipe.

Here's one alternative for a basic biscuit recipe without custard powder, we uncovered in a Donna Hay cookbook.

Trouble shooting biscuit baking: what went wrong and how to fix it!

In France they make biscuits called lunettes, the french word for spectacles. Lunettes are slim oval shaped biscuits sandwiched together with apricot jam. On the top, two holes made to look like eyes are filled with raspeberry jam.

Look for this recipe in Biscuits one of the Home Collection cookbooks from Cordon Bleu, published by Murdoch Books. Others in the series of 26 include Desserts, Puddings, Sauces, Seafood, Summer, Bread, Salads and Chicken.

From Tracey Cahill "This is my grandmother's recipe."

Ingredients: 1/4 lb butter, 1cup sugar, 2 eggs, 2 cups SR flour, vanilla essence.

Method: Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs vanilla and flour. Teaspoon into a ball with floured hands thumb hole and fill with jam. To turn into patty cakes add milk.

From Lyn Fisk, Parkes, NSW. "The following recipe is from my Grandmother. This recipe can be halved as it is designed for a large family (luckly as I have 5 children). Enjoy your cooking!"

Ingredients: 4 cups SR Flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 4 tbsp honey, 1 1/2 cups castor sugar, 150g butter/margarine, 4 eggs.

Method: Sift flour and baking powder together. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs. Then add the flour. Roll into a ball and make a well in the cnetre and fill with jam. Cook in a quick oven [375F] until golden brown approx 10-15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

From Theresa Ingram, Aspendale Gardens Vic. "Here is an alternative from my sister-in-law, Melissa Rose, in St. Louis, Missouri, USA and it's the best I've ever had! Makes about 6 dozen. Lemon blossom cookies

Ingredients: 2 cups margarine or butter, softened; 1 1/2 cups icing sugar; 1/4 cup lemon juice; 4 cups unsifted all purpose flour; finely chopped nuts, optional; assorted jams (raspberry & apricot)

Method: Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add lemon juice and beat well. Gradually add flour and mix well. Cover and chill 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350F and grease cookie sheets. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in nuts if desired. Place one inch apart on cookie sheets. Press thumb into center of each ball and fill with jam. Bake 14-16 minutes or until slightly browned. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

From Mia Burmaz, Kununurra WA

Jam Tart Cookies

• Prep time: 25 mins + chilling.
• Cooking: 10 mins.
• Makes 16 cookies

Ingredients: 185g unsalted butter, softened; 1/2 cup icing sugar; 1 1/2 cups plain flour; 1/2 cup cornflour; 1 tsp grated lemon rind; 2 tsp lemon juice; 1/4 cup strawberry jam

Method: Put the butter and icing sugar into a mixing bowl. Beat together with an electric mixer or wooden spoon until pale and creamy. Gradually beat in the flour, cornflour, lemon rind and juice and mix to form a stiff dough. Wrap in clear plastic and chill for about 1 hour. Preheat the over to 180C. Lightly grease two large baking trays. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until about 3mm thick. Cut out 32 rounds using 5cm pastry cutter, re-rolling the trimmings as necessary. Put half the rounds on the prepared baking trays, spaced well apart. Using a 2.5cm star cutter, cut out the centres of the remaining rounds. Brush the edge of the uncut rounds with water and out the cut-out rounds on top. Spoon a little jam into the centre of each cookie. Bake for 10 mins or until firm. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Tip: For variety, use different flavours and colours of jam to make multi-coloured cookies. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

From Fiona Milnes

Ingredients: 2 cups flour, 2 eggs, 6 oz.butter, 2 tsp baking powder, 4 oz. sugar

Method: Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat well.Stir in flour and baking powder. Roll into small balls. Place on a greased tray.Make a small dent in each ball and fill with jam. Bake in moderate oven until golden brown.

From Roslyn Hafey, Alpha Qld.

Foundation Biscuit Mix - a great "bush" kitchen recipe!

Ingredients: 115g butter or marg, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg, 2 cups SR Flour, vanilla.

Method: Cream butter and sugar, add egg and then sifted flour and vanilla. Roll into balls and add jam, other ingredients such as chocolate drops etc can be added or they can be rolled in coconut or cornflakes etc.