Introduction

These jam cookies are a delightful blend of buttery, tender biscuit and sweet, fruity filling. Perfect for teatime or a sweet snack, their charming cutout design makes them as fun to look at as they are to eat.

Four round cookies are stacked slightly overlapping on a metal cooling rack lined with parchment paper, placed on a white marbled surface. Each cookie has two layers: the bottom layer is plain, light beige cookie dough, and the top layer is dusted with white powdered sugar with a heart-shaped cutout in the center filled with glossy red jam. Below the rack, there is a white bowl filled with thick red jam and a spoon resting inside. On the left side of the image, there are two smaller heart-shaped cookies lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup icing sugar, sifted, plus extra for dusting
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted, plus extra to roll out the dough
1/2 cup strawberry jam

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C). Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, icing sugar, salt, and vanilla extract together until the mixture is light and fluffy. This process should take at least 3 minutes for the best texture.
Step 2: With the mixer running on low, gradually add the sifted flour until just combined. The dough will start to come together as a ball. Remove the dough from the mixer.
Step 3: Knead the dough gently by hand for about one minute until it forms a smooth ball. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
Step 4: Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll out the chilled dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Add flour as needed to prevent sticking.
Step 5: Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to cut out circles from the dough. Gather and re-roll scraps to use up all the dough.
Step 6: Take half the circle cookies and cut a 1 1/2-inch heart shape out of the center using a smaller cookie cutter.
Step 7: Arrange both the whole circle cookies and the cutout cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them slightly apart.
Step 8: Bake the cookies on the top and bottom oven racks, swapping and rotating the trays halfway through baking. Bake until the edges are light golden, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 9: Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack. Dust the cutout cookies with icing sugar. Spread strawberry jam on the bottom of each whole cookie, then sandwich a cutout cookie on top with the sugared side facing up.

Tips & Variations

For a different flavor twist, try raspberry, apricot, or blackberry jam instead of strawberry.
Chilling the dough is crucial for easy rolling and to help cookies keep their shape during baking.
If you don’t have a heart-shaped cutter, use any small shape or even a star or circle for the cutouts.
Use powdered sugar sparingly for dusting to avoid overwhelming the jam’s sweetness.

Storage

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days to maintain freshness. For longer storage, keep them in the refrigerator up to one week, but allow them to come to room temperature before serving to soften the jam. These cookies also freeze well—wrap them individually and thaw at room temperature when ready to enjoy.

How to Serve

There are four round sandwich cookies with a powdered sugar top layer dusted all over except for a heart-shaped cutout in the center showing a shiny dark red jam layer inside. The cookies are stacked slightly overlapping on a metal cooling rack lined with parchment paper, placed on a white marbled surface sprinkled with some powdered sugar. Below the cooling rack, there is a small white scalloped bowl filled with the same dark red jam and a spoon resting inside it. To the side, there are two small heart-shaped cookie pieces dusted with powdered sugar. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare the dough up to 2 days before baking. Keep it wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated until ready to roll and cut.

What if I don’t have a stand mixer?

You can cream the butter and sugar together by hand using a wooden spoon or hand mixer. It may take a bit longer to get the mixture light and fluffy, but the cookies will still turn out great.