Jammy Window Cookies Recipes

PAUL HOLLYWOOD'S JAMMY BISCUITS

Steps:

• Make the jam. Place the raspberries in a small, deep-sided pan and crush them with a potato masher. Add the sugar and bring the liquid to the boil over a low heat until the sugar dissolves. Then, increase the heat and boil for 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and pass the jam through a sieve into a heatproof bowl. Discard the seeds in the sieve. Leave the jam to cool, then chill it to set.
• Heat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/325°F/Gas 3.
• Make the biscuits. Place the butter and caster sugar in a mixing bowl and beat well for 3-5 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat again until thoroughly combined.
• Sift in the flour and cornflour and mix by hand to a crumbly dough. Bring the dough together with your hands and knead it gently on a lightly floured work surface until smooth. Do not overwork.
• Halve the dough and shape each half into a flat disc. Wrap the discs and chill them for 20 minutes.
• Unwrap one of the dough discs on a lightly floured work surface and roll it out to about 3mm thick. Using the fluted round cutter, cut out 12 rounds, re-rolling the trimmings as necessary.
• Lightly flour a biscuit stamp, if you have one, then stamp each round to create a pattern. Re-cut the rounds with the fluted round cutter, then place the 12 discs on one of the lined baking sheets. Chill them while you roll out the remaining dough.
• Repeat steps 6 and 7 with the remaining dough disc, then, using the heart-shaped cutter, stamp out the centre of 12 of the rounds. Place these on the other baking sheet and chill them for 20 minutes.
• Bake the biscuits for 10-12 minutes, until the edges start to turn a pale golden colour. Leave them to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Make the filling. Put the butter into a bowl and sift the icing sugar on top. Add the vanilla and, using a wooden spoon or an electric hand whisk, beat until very light and smooth.
• Dollop a spoonful of the filling onto the smooth side of each of the 12 plain biscuits, spreading it to the edges with a palette knife. Spoon a little jam over the buttercream, then sandwich, smooth side downwards, with the 12 cut-out heart biscuits. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

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.

JAMMY DODGERS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in egg yolk, water and extract until mixture forms a ball. , On a lightly floured sheet of parchment, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Transfer dough and paper to a baking sheet; refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes. Cut with a lightly floured 2-1/2-in. round cookie cutter. Using a floured 1-in. round cookie cutter, cut out centers of half of the cookies. Place solid and window cookies 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. , Bake at 325° until edges are lightly browned, 15-20 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Dust window cookies with confectioners' sugar. Spread 2 teaspoons jam on bottoms of solid cookies; top with window cookies.

MAGIC WINDOW COOKIES

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover; refrigerate about 1 hour or until firm.
• Heat oven to 375°F. Cover cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil. On lightly floured cloth-covered surface, roll one-third of dough at a time 1/8 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Cut shapes from centers of cookies as desired. Place cookies on parchment paper.
• Place whole or partially crushed pieces of candy in cutouts, depending on size and shape of design, mixing colors as desired. Leave pieces as large as possible because candy melts easily; do not use fine candy "dust." (To crush candy, place in heavy plastic bag and tap lightly with rolling pin.) Place cutouts from centers of cookies on top of candies, if desired.
• Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are very light brown and candy is melted. If candy has not completely spread within cutout design, immediately spread with knife. Cool completely on parchment paper, about 30 minutes. Gently remove cookies to cooling rack.