have a real weakness for shortbread. Luckily, it is one of the easiest cookies
to make and one of the most versatile. This cookie has the look of a
Linzer Cookie but starts with your basic
shortbread batter so it has that wonderful buttery flavor and they taste absolutely delicious when sandwiched
with raspberry jam and grated white chocolate. They look
very festive and make an ideal cookie during the Christmas season with their
coating of white powdered sugar and red raspberry jam poking through the cut
out. The idea for this recipe
came while browsing through Jann Johnson's Shortbread Book that is devoted to
both sweet and savory recipes for the shortbread lover.
Although you can
easily use a good quality store bought raspberry preserve to sandwich the
cookies together, if you have the time, I recommend making your own. The
recipe I give here has a flavor that is far superior to any commercial jam
you can buy and is much cheaper as well. I came across this recipe in
Carole Walter's 'Great Pies & Tarts' and it is very simple to make yet it
really brings out the tart yet sweet flavor of raspberries. All you need to
do is combine unsweetened
frozen raspberries with sugar and cook them on the stove
until thick. Then a little lemon juice is added and you are done. It is best to
cover and refrigerate the jam for a couple of days to give the flavors time
to soften and mingle and for the jam to firm up.
Shortbreads: In
a separate bowl whisk the flour with the salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream
the butter until smooth (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until smooth
(about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Gently stir in the flour
mixture just until incorporated. Flatten the dough into a disk shape, wrap
in plastic wrap, and chill the dough for at least an hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) with the rack in
the middle of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
On a lightly
floured surface roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch (1 cm) thick.
Using a 2 to 3 inch (5 to 7.5 cm) cookie cutter (round, square, heart, etc.) cut
out the dough. Place the cookies about 1 inch (2.54 cm) apart on the
prepared baking sheets. Use a smaller cookie cutter (3/4 - 1 inch (2.54 cm)) to
cut out the centers of half of the cookies on the baking sheet. (You will be
sandwiching two cookies together and there will be a small 'window or cut out'
in the top cookie so you can see the jam underneath.)
Place the unbaked cookies, on the baking sheet, in the
refrigerator for about 15 minutes. This will firm up the dough so the cookies
will maintain their shape when baked. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until
cookies are lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.
To Assemble Cookies:
Place the cookies with the cut-outs on a wire rack and
dust the tops
with the confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar.
On the bottom surface of the
full cookie (top of cookie will face out) spread with about a 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon
of jam. Sprinkle with a little grated white chocolate. Place the cut-out
cookie on top and gently sandwich them together, making sure not to smug the
confectioners' sugar. Using a small spoon, fill
the cut-out with a little more jam.
Note: You can store the
unassembled cookies for several days in an airtight container. It is best,
though, to assemble the cookies the same day as serving in order to keep the
cookies crisp.
Raspberry Preserves:
Place the frozen unsweetened raspberries and the sugar in a small saucepan and
bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring
occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has
evaporated. Do not let it burn. Remove from heat and pour into a heatproof measuring cup. You
should have almost a cup of preserves. Add a drop
or two of lemon juice. Cover and place in the refrigerator for a few days
before using.
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