Biscuit dough

• Preheat your oven to 170°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper or use a non-stick baking tray. As every oven heats differently, keep an eye on the biscuits while they bake to avoid over-browning.
• Whisk the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy.
• Add the vanilla essence, then gently fold in the fresh cream. The mixture may look slightly curdled at this stage because the cream and butter have different fat contents. This is normal and will smooth out once the flour is added.
• Sift in 2½ cups of self-raising flour and fold gently. Repeat with the remaining 2½ cups, mixing until a soft, non-sticky dough forms.
• Roll tablespoon-sized portions of dough into balls and flatten slightly. Place them on the non-stick baking tray, leaving enough space between them as they will spread a little in the oven.
• Bake for about 12 minutes at 170°C, or until the tops crack slightly and the bottoms are lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. They will firm up as they cool.

Filling

• Prepare the filling by mixing the icing sugar with boiling water until a thick, smooth glaze forms. Spread a small dollop of strawberry jam onto one biscuit and a dollop of glaze onto another, then gently sandwich them together. Take care not to overfill, although a little spillage is perfectly fine as long as the biscuits hold together.

Sugar syrup

• Make the sugar syrup by combining sugar and water in a medium pot over medium heat. Do not stir immediately. Allow the sugar to dissolve while the mixture simmers, then stir gently. Bring the mixture to a boil for about ten minutes, then let it cool. The syrup should feel slightly sticky between your fingers. Add a few drops of red food colouring (about 2 teaspoons) and stir gently.

Decor

• Once the syrup is completely cool, dip each snowball into the syrup, then roll in desiccated coconut until fully coated. Set aside to firm up slightly before serving.