Jam Filled Christmas Cookies Recipes

JAM FILLED BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and egg yolks. Mix in flour a little bit at a time until a soft dough forms. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. If dough is too soft, refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes. Place balls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Use your finger or an instrument of similar size to make a well in the center of each cookie. Fill the hole with 1/2 teaspoon of preserves.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown on the bottom. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

EMPIRE COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter. Add sugar, creaming well. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 2 inch rounds, and place on ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 minutes, or until very lightly browned at edges. Cool thoroughly.
• Spread half of the cookies with jam, and top with remaining cookies.
• Combine confectioners' sugar, almond extract, and enough hot water to make a thin icing. Frost tops of cookies. Top each with a small piece of candied cherry.

JAM-FILLED CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F; line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a food processor fitted with steel blade, process walnuts and 1/4 cup of the flour until nuts are quite finely chopped; remove from processor into a dish and set aside.
• Place remaining flour into food processor, along with butter and icing sugar; process until mixture has a crumbly texture, about 10 seconds or so.
• Return nut mixture to food processor, along with almond extract and the egg.
• Process until entire mixture is combined; 15 seconds or so.
• Make one-inch balls from mixture and place on prepared cookie sheet; using the end of a wooden spoon, make an indentation into each cookie.
• Fill each hole with a wee bit of jam; I prefer seedless raspberry, but will use strawberry too-- I find the red jams suit the holiday season, but you can use any jam you want.
• Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown.

JAM-FILLED CREAM-CHEESE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, and sugar until light and fluffy. With mixer on low, add flour and salt; beat until combined (do not overmix).
• Divide dough into 3 portions; flatten each into a disk. Roll each disk to an 1/8-inch thickness between sheets of parchment. Stack dough (still in parchment) on a baking sheet; refrigerate 20 minutes. (To store, wrap in plastic and freeze on sheet, up to 2 weeks. Thaw until pliable before using.)
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Mix egg yolk with 1/2 teaspoon water. Working with 1 dough sheet at a time, peel off parchment (save for baking). With a 2 1/2-inch round or 2-inch star-shaped cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon jam into center of each and brush exposed dough with egg wash. Shape cookies; arrange, 2 inches apart, on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets and refrigerate 20 minutes (reroll scraps).
• Bake until cookies are light golden brown, about 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool completely on wire racks. (To store, cover and keep at room temperature, up to 4 days.)

SURPRISE -FILLED COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300.
• In medium bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Mix well with whisk and set aside.
• In medium bowl with an electric mixer cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla and beat on medium until smooth. Add the flour mixture and blend at low speed until thoroughly combined. Dough will be firm.
• Scoop tablespoons of dough, roll into 1-inch-diameter balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets, 1 inch apart. Witht he small end of a melon baller, scoop out the center of the dough balls. Be careful to not scoop all the way through the cookie. Place 1/2 teaspoon of jam in the center of each dough ball. Place scooped out dough back into the bowl to use to form more cookies.
• Bake 22-24 minutes or until light golden brown. Transfer to a cool flat surface.