Sieve the flour and baking powder together.
Sieve the icing sugar.
Cream the margarine and sugar very well until light and creamy.
Add one egg at a time, beating well each time.
Finally, add the colour, essence and flour. It will make a soft dough.
Lightly flour the board and roll out the dough into about 6 mm. (1/4*) thickness.
Stamp out into rounds of two sizes— about 65 and 50 mm. (2 1/2" and 2") diameter. Use a fluted cutter for the larger round Grease and dust a pastry tin.
First put one big round in each cavity of the pastry tin, then put 1/2 teaspoon of jam over each round.
Make small holes in the centres of the small rounds.
Now place the small rounds over the big rounds. Insert two to three slivers of blanched almonds in the centres. Brush with milk or with beaten egg.
Bake in a hot oven at 400°F. for 25 minutes