Favorite Shortbread Jam Cookies - A Kitchen Post

*Please note:  This recipe is from www.joyofbaking.com  

 "Shortbreads with White Chocolate & Raspberries Wild Maine Strawberry Jam"

I found this recipe with an internet search in 2009.  I was preparing for a big tea party for the girls and I'm guessing that I searched 'shortbread cookies.'  

When I find a great recipe, I tend to stick to it, and this is one of our great ones.  I make them once or twice a year.  They are one of the few cookies that I could gobble one after another, so it's a good thing I don't make them often! 

Shortbreads:

2 c. flour

1/4 t salt

1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 t vanilla extract

Filling:

1/4-1/2 c. raspberry jam

2 oz. white chocolate, grated

(I will include here the recipe, as given, for 'homemade raspberry preserves'.  My favorite jam to use with these cookies is my homemade wild strawberry jam.  When I haven't had that, I have purchased seedless raspberry jam.)

[2 c. raspberries, unsweetened

1/4 c. sugar

a few drops of lemon juice:

Place the frozen unsweetened raspberries & the sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce the heat & simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Do not let it burn.  Remove from heat & pour into a heatproof measuring cup.  Add a drop or two of lemon juice.  Cover & place in the refrigerator for a few days before using.]

In a separate bowl whisk the flour with the salt.  Set aside.

In the bowl of electric mixer, cream butter until smooth, about 1 minute.  Add the sugar & beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.  Beat in the vanilla extract.  Gently stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated.  Flatten the dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill the dough for at least an hour.  

Preheat oven to 350 with the rack in the middle of the oven.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick.  Using a 2-3 inch cookie cutter, (round, square, heart, etc.), cut out the dough.  Place the cookies about 1" apart on the prepared cookie sheets.  Use a smaller cookie cutter, (3/4-1") to cut out the centers of half of the cookies on the baking sheet.  (You will be sandwiching two cookies together and there will be a small 'window' or 'cut out' in the top cookie so you can see the jam underneath.)  Place the unbaked cookies, on the baking sheet, in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.  This will firm up the dough so the cookies will maintain their shape when baked.  Bake for about 10 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned.  Cool on a wire rack.

Place the cookies with the cut-out tops on a wire rack & dust with powdered sugar.  

On the bottom surface of the cookie, (top of cookie will face out), spread with about 1/4-1/2 t jam.  Sprinkle with a little grated white chocolate.  

Place the cut-out cookie on top & gently sandwich them together, making sure not to smudge the powdered sugar.  Using a small spoon, fill the cut-out with a little more jam.  

End of recipe.

The cut outs make very pretty cookies.

Tonight I made these shortbread cookies, but instead of doing cut outs, I made tiny hearts.  More cookies for more people, as, weather permitting, we are having a Valentine's Day party this week.

Enjoy!