For the record, I am a self-confessed cookie monster. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE,
cookies. It is absolutely amazing how many cookies I can manage to eat
without even thinking about it. It actually scares me. In fact, I just might have
a condition, for which I’m not sure there is any known cure. Oh well, I guess
I’m just going to have to live with it.
For years, I have drooled over many a picture of these lovely cookies,
knowing that they would be delicious, but just never getting around to making
them. Finally I did … or I have, just made these cookies, and they are just as
wonderful, as I’ve always imagined them to be. The sugar cookie dough is light
and flaky (reminds me of pie crust), the filling is fruity and delicious, not
overly sweet, and the delicate sprinkling of icing sugar on the top, is like a
little kiss of sweetness, that blends all the flavours together in your mouth.
Delicious!
The thing about these cookies, is that they seem like a little more work than,
let’s say, a drop cookie, because you have to cut out the shapes and spread
the jam and put the two pieces together. Whatever extra work you’ve ever
thought there was to making these cookies, put it aside, they are so worth it.
In fact, I’ve just realized what they remind me of … pie … flaky crust on the top
and bottom, with a luscious fruit filling in the middle. These cookies are often
referred to as “sandwich cookie”, but I think they’re more like a pie than a
sandwich, so I’m calling them “pie cookies”. Just like pie, these cookies hold a
sweet, fruity filling that can be just about any flavour you can come up with.
I’m imagining strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, fig, lemon curd, marmalade,
peach. I could go on and on, but I won’t spoil all the fun. Take a walk on the
wild side, and see what you come up with.
Apricot Pie Cookies
2 cups (10 oz/315 g) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 oz/250 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (3 oz/90 g) confectioners’ (icing) sugar, plus extra for dusting
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract (essence)
1/2 teaspoon extract (essence) of your choice (almond, orange, vanilla)
6 tablespoons seedless jam of your choice (I used apricot)
Method
1. In a large bowl, combine the butter and confectioners’ sugar. Beat on
medium speed until smooth. Add the vanilla and extracts and beat on low
speed until well blended. Add the dry ingredients and beat until the dough
comes together in a large clump (this should take about 30 seconds to a
minute).
2. Press the dough together into a ball, then divide it in half. Gather each half
into a ball, flatten each ball into a disk 5 inches (13 cm) in diameter, wrap in
plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 40 minutes.
3. Position a rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat to 325 ° F (165 ° C).
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment (baking) paper.
4. Remove 1 disk of dough from the refrigerator. Lightly dust a work surface
and a rolling-pin with flour. Roll out the dough 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. Slide a
thin metal spatula under the dough to loosen it from the rolling surface. Using
a 2 1/2 -inch (6 cm) round-shaped cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Using a 1-
inch (2.5 cm) flower-shaped cookie cutter, cut out the center of half of the
cookies. Place the larger circles 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) apart on a prepared
baking sheet. Repeat with the second disk of dough, what you just did with the
first. Press the dough scraps together and repeat the rolling and cutting
process.
5. Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until the edges are light brown, 12-15
minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer
them to wire racks to cool completely.
6. Leaving a 1/4 inch (6 mm) border uncovered, spread about 1 teaspoon of
the jam over each cookie without a cutout. If my jam is thick I like to heat it
up with a tablespoon of water or lemon juice to make it easier to spread. Using
a fine-mesh sieve, dust the cutout cookies with confectioners’ sugar. Place the
cutout cookies on top of the jam-covered cookies. (You may notice I got a
little ahead of myself and put the tops on my cookies before I dusted them
with icing sugar — hence I have icing sugar on my jam — doesn’t bother me and
I hope it doesn’t bother you. Like I always say, there are no rules here — feel
free to put your own twist on things!)
7. You can make some really miniature pie cookies by placing a little dollop of
jam on a miniature cutout and pressing it onto another miniature cutout so
that you have little miniature pie cookies. Dust the miniature pie cookies with
confectioners’ sugar. Sneak them in-between eating the regular size cookies
because you’ll feel only half as guilty.
There are no rules when it comes to these cookies. They can be adapted to suit
any occasion. The dough can be cut into any shape. If it’s late October, use
pumpkins cutters with a smaller pumpkin cutout and fill it with apricot jam.
For Valentines Day, use heart cutouts filled with strawberry or raspberry jam
or use cutters with ruffled edges like I did. Change the filling to suit the
occasion or your tastes. All cookies can be stored in an airtight container at
room temperature for up to 4 days. Makes 16 cookies and 16 miniature
cookies.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Baking
Well, I’ve really got to go now, I have a lot of — uhmm, cookies to eat.
This Sweet Wife ♥
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This Sweet Wife 