Ingredients
Cookie Dough:
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 large egg yolk (about 18 g)
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract optional
- 1 ¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ¾ cup (72) g almond flour (blanched, finely ground)
- 2 tablespoons (16 g) cornstarch
Jam Filling:
- ¾ cup (240 g) seedless raspberry jam (or strawberry, cherry, or apricot)
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon (3 g) cornstarch mixed with 1 teaspoon (5 ml) water
For Finishing:
- Extra powdered sugar for dusting
Equipment
Instructions
- Make the dough – In a large bowl, beat butter, powdered sugar, and salt until smooth and creamy, 1–2 minutes. Mix in the egg yolk, vanilla, and almond extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, almond flour, and cornstarch. Add to the wet mixture and stir until a soft dough forms. Divide into 2 disks, wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour (or 20 minutes in the freezer).
- Cook the jam – In a small saucepan, combine jam and lemon juice. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, until glossy and thickened. Cool completely.
- Roll and cut – Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll chilled dough between parchment sheets to ¼-inch (6 mm) thick. Cut rounds with a 2½-inch cutter, then cut shapes (hearts, stars, etc.) from the center of half of the cookies. Place on lined baking sheets. If dough softens, chill the tray for 10 minutes before baking.
- Bake – Bake 9–11 minutes, until edges are pale golden. Cool on the sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Dust the tops – Dust the cut-out cookies generously with powdered sugar before assembling.
- Assemble – Flip the solid cookies over. Spread 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons jam on each, then top with a sugared cut-out cookie. Press gently so the jam shows through. Let sit 20–30 minutes to set.
Notes
- Dough can be made 1–2 days ahead or frozen for up to 1 month.
- For crisp cookies, fill them the day you plan to serve. If you don’t mind softer cookies, they keep well assembled.
- Yield may vary slightly depending on cookie cutter size.