Jam Shortbread Cookies

Source: https://bakeschool.com/jam-filled-shortbread-cookies/

Ingredients

Shortbread cookies

230 grams (1 cup) unsalted butter softened

63 grams (1/2 cup) icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

250 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

Jam-filled shortbread cookies

125 mL strawberry jam

icing sugar for dusting on top of sandwich cookies

Instructions

Shortbread cookies

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and (63 grams) ½ cup of the powdered sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Mix in the vanilla until combined.

Sift in the flour and salt. Mix on low speed until just incorporated.

Gather and form a dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325 ºF (165 °C). Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper (I love the big Nordic Ware cookie sheets that you can get on Amazon).

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to ¼-inch thickness. Cut out circles with 2-inch cookie cutter. Re-roll scraps to cut out as many circles as possible. You should get about 40 circles. With a tiny heart, star or diamond cookie cutter, cut out centre window in 20 of the circles. Place cookies on prepared cookie sheets, spacing them out.

Bake 15 to 18 minutes. Let the edges brown just a touch. Not too much! Let cool completely.

How to assemble shortbread sandwich cookies with jam

Dollop a teaspoon of jam on the 20 "full circle", bottom side of the cookies. Top with the cookies with a centre cut-out window.

Dust lightly with powdered sugar.

Notes

This recipe calls for Diamond Crystal fine Kosher salt. If using regular table salt, add half the amount or the recipe may be too salty!

Recipe makes approximately 40 cookies, but if you sandwich them together with a filling, that would make roughly 20 sandwich cookies once assembled.

This recipe comes from Oh Sweet Day by Fanny Lam.

I fill the shortbread cookies with raspberry or strawberry jam, or with lemon curd, or chocolate ganache. Maple butter makes an excellent filling too!

Please note that I bake with uncoated aluminum sheet pans that are light in colour. If you are baking this recipe with darker bakeware, you may have to drop the oven temperature to 300 °F (150 °C) to prevent your baked goods from browning too quickly.