Between now and Christmas I will post 12 Christmas recipes - including truffles, cookies, cakes and candy. It is going to be fun, and I hope you stick around for the ride!
On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me Jam Cookies!
I thought I would start off the project with a relatively simple cookie and this Jam cookie sounded just right. Once I started making it however I ran into a few problems. First of all the dough was supposed to come together so that it could be kneaded. My dough looked like a big bunch of crumbs, so I had to alter the recipe a bit.
Then my next issue was that they were supposed to bake in 8-10 minutes, after 20 minutes I decided that the temperature must of been too low so I pumped it up and then burnt them. See the bottom of the cookies weren't too bad...
But the tops were a bit dark...
Then when you see the bottom and the top next to each other you can really notice the difference, whoops!
Luckily you dust these babies with a whole heap of icing sugar so no one needs to know just how much you over-baked them...
And also the icing sugar leaves a cool pattern on your bench top...
And everyone is more forgiving when you pile on the jam...
Even after all the issues with these cookies they were still pretty good, just like a hazelnut shortbread with jam and icing sugar to make it nice and super sweet (just the way I like it).
Jam Cookies (from Better Homes and Gardens - December 2008)
Makes about 12 biscuits
125g unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups plain flour
1/4 cup rice flour
1/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted, finely chopped
1 egg
extra flour, for kneading
1 cup plum jam (I used strawberry jam)
icing sugar for dusting
- Preheat oven to 160C (I would try 170C if I made these again). Line 2 oven trays with baking paper.
- Beat butter, sugar and vanilla extract until light and creamy.
- Add flours and hazelnuts and mix until well combined (at this stage I added in a beaten egg - because my dough wouldn't come together).
- Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently.
- Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface until 6mm thick. Using a 4cm fluted cutter (I just used a circle cutter), cut out rounds. Using a smaller fluted cutter (I used a small star cutter), cut out the centres from half the cookies. (Re-roll the centres into extra cookies if desired.)
- Put whole cookies on 1 prepared tray and cut-out cookies on the other. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until pale golden (I would try at 170C for 10 minutes if I made these again).
- When cooled sprinkle icing sugar over the cut-out cookies and jam over the whole cookies, then sandwich the two pieces together.
- Best enjoyed on the day of baking or the next day.
Rating
3 out of 5 reindeers!
22 comments:
very pretty like cookies covered in snowflakes...
What a great project, I can't wait to see the rest!
They look delish!
I'm so happy you're doing another project :D! I'm planning on making jam-filled cookies for Christmas myself!
very pretty cookies!
Hi Alicia, thanks for getting back to me! I love your blog! I loved your A-Z cupcakes..am desperate to try out the toblerone cupcakes, I made the oreo ones this week for a friends birthday and they were delicious! thanks for sharing your recipes! I look forward in anticipation for your 12 recipes of christmas and am sure I will be pinching some of them!
I was so excited to see a comment on my blog..I really don't know how to connect to people and get my blog seen so 1 comment for me was very exciting! I will try and track a 1m tip down! thanks so much xxx
Gem - So glad to hear the Oreo cupcakes were a hit :). Definitely leaving comments on other blogs is the best way to get your blog noticed - it takes a bit of time but it is worth it in the end :). Good luck finding the 1M tip.
Yum! They look delicious. I look forward to seeing the other 11 recipes. I can't believe it is nearly christmas. I better get my presents sorted!
love that you're doing this for the holidays. i want to follow along and make a few:)
I cant wait to see your 12 christmas recipes Alicia! What a great start with those delicious looking jam cookies, theyre s cute.
Rose
Wouldn't I be smiling from ear to ear if I got these pretty cookies as a gift?
Lovely, Alicia!
Great idea!
Too bad they didn't turn out the way you wanted but without knowing they don't seem like trouble makers at all!
These are really cute! I've never made any jam sandwich cookies. Perhaps this is the year! These are really cute.
These look wonderful, Alicia! And I can't wait for the rest of them. By the way, I love how these photos have a dreamy look. Is it the wide aperture alone or do you edit it to achieve that effect? I'm still pretty new to photography and trying to learn from those who are better 8).
Xiaolu - I just took the photos in natural light and then slightly brightened them in Photoshop. I still need to learn a lot about photography!
Thanks, Alicia! I think you're doing great so far. I haven't even made the investment in Photoshop hehe. Just using the RAW editor that came with my camera + Flickr. Maybe next year I'll step it up :).
So cute! I'm so excited that I'm going to be home for a bit around the holidays. I'm going to bake my family into a corner with all the time off and willing eaters. :)
I love these and I love Clive's tips!!
Too funny and so cute!
Yum! I love jam cookies! Clive's tips are so fun too, he has a great personality and sense of humour ;)
oh these look good! :)
These sounds like a great new project! The look great, jam cookies are one of my all time fav's!
Ooooh great job!! I love your idea :) I've been hunting and saving recipes for the last few months on gifts I'm going to make for people? You know, the ones that you have no idea what to give but want to give a little something?
Glad to know that these ones need to be eaten on the day or the next day. Thanks for sharing :)
Post a Comment