Description
Jam-filled cookies bring pure delight to dessert tables across kitchens. Buttery shortbread rounds cradle sweet fruit preserves, creating simple yet irresistible treats you’ll savor with coffee or tea.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ¼ cups / 280 g all-purpose flour
- 1 cup / 227 g unsalted butter, softened
- ⅔ cup / 133 g granulated sugar
- ½ cup / 170 g fruit jam or preserves (raspberry, strawberry, or apricot)
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tsp / 5 ml vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp / 1.5 g salt
- powdered sugar for dusting
- finely chopped nuts for rolling
Instructions
- Dough Preparation: Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, blending in egg yolk and vanilla extract to create a smooth base. Gently incorporate sifted flour and salt, kneading until a uniform, pliable dough forms.
- Chilling Phase: Wrap the dough in plastic film and refrigerate for 30 minutes, allowing flavors to meld and texture to firm up. This crucial resting period enhances the cookie’s structural integrity.
- Shaping and Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Roll chilled dough into uniform spheres, optionally coating with finely chopped nuts for added crunch. Arrange on parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving ample space between cookies.
- Jam Filling Technique: Create gentle wells in each dough ball using your thumb or a small spoon. Carefully fill these indentations with jam, ensuring a balanced distribution without overflowing the centers.
- Baking and Finishing: Bake for 12-15 minutes until cookie edges transform to a golden, crisp tone. Allow cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling. Dust with a delicate layer of powdered sugar for an elegant presentation.
- Storage: Preserve the cookies in an airtight container, maintaining freshness for up to 5 days, allowing the flavors to meld and intensify.
Notes
- Chill Dough Thoroughly: Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes to prevent spreading and ensure a compact, firm cookie texture during baking.
- Select Quality Jam: Choose thick, low-moisture fruit preserves to prevent excessive leakage and maintain clean, defined wells in the cookies.
- Manage Thumb Pressure: Create cookie wells gently with minimal pressure to avoid cracking the delicate dough structure while forming jam indentations.
- Control Baking Time: Watch cookies closely during the 12-15 minute baking window, as ovens vary; golden edges indicate perfect doneness without burning.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 25
- Calories: 130
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 30 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg