Introduction

These jam cookies are a delightful treat combining buttery, tender cookies with a sweet strawberry jam center. Perfect for sharing at tea time or as a homemade gift, they offer a beautiful and delicious twist on classic sandwich cookies.

The BEST Jam Cookies Recipe - Recipe Image

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 the oven to 325°F. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, icing sugar, salt, and vanilla extract until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Step 2: With the mixer running, gradually add the sifted flour until just combined and a ball of dough forms.
Step 3: Remove the dough from the mixer and knead gently by hand until smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
Step 4: On a floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to about 1/4 inch thickness, adding extra flour as needed to prevent sticking.
Step 5: Using a 3-inch circle cookie cutter, cut out cookie shapes. Reroll the scraps as needed to cut additional cookies.
Step 6: On half of the circle cookies, cut out a 1 1/2 inch heart shape from the center.
Step 7: Arrange the whole and cutout cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets.
Step 8: Bake the cookies on the top and bottom racks of the oven, switching and rotating the pans halfway through, until the edges are lightly golden, about 15-20 minutes.
Step 9: Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely.
Step 10: Dust the cutout cookies with icing sugar. Spread strawberry jam over the bottom side of each whole cookie, then sandwich with a dusted cutout cookie on top, sugar side up.

Tips & Variations

For a different flavor, try raspberry or apricot jam instead of strawberry.
Chilling the dough thoroughly helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
If you don’t have a heart-shaped cutter, any small decorative cutter works for the center cutouts.
Use powdered sugar to dust just before serving to keep the cookies looking fresh.

Storage

Store the jam cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To keep them crisp, layer them between sheets of parchment paper. They can also be refrigerated for up to a week; bring them to room temperature before serving. Avoid freezing sandwich cookies as the jam may alter texture upon thawing.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare the dough and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before rolling and cutting the cookies.

What can I use if I don’t have a stand mixer?

You can cream the butter and sugar by hand using a sturdy wooden spoon or electric hand mixer until light and fluffy. Then gradually add the flour and mix until just combined.

The BEST Jam Cookies Recipe

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4.7 from 146 reviews

Delightful jam cookies featuring a tender buttery base with a sweet strawberry jam center. These classic cookies are perfect for tea time or as a charming treat, dusted with icing sugar and baked to a light golden perfection.

Author: Marco
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: About 24 cookies 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale

Cookie Dough:

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

Filling:

1/2 cup strawberry jam

Instructions

Prepare the dough: Preheat your oven to 325°F. In 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 should take at least 3 minutes to achieve the right texture. Gradually add the sifted flour and mix just until combined, forming a dough ball.
Knead and chill: Remove the dough from the stand mixer and knead it gently by hand for about 1 minute until it forms a smooth ball. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up, which makes rolling easier.
Roll out the dough: On a floured surface, roll the chilled dough out evenly to about 1/4 inch thickness. Sprinkle extra flour on your rolling surface and rolling pin as needed to prevent sticking.
Cut circles: Using a 3-inch circle cookie cutter, cut out round cookies. Gather and re-roll any scraps to cut more cookies.
Create cutout shapes: Take half of the circle cookies and use a 1 1/2 inch heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out shapes from their centers. These will be the top halves of the sandwich cookies.
Arrange on baking sheets: Place both the whole circle cookies and the heart-cutout cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them evenly.
Bake the cookies: Bake the cookies on the top and bottom racks of your oven, rotating the pans and swapping their positions halfway through baking. Bake until the cookie edges turn a light golden color, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Cool the cookies: Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely on the baking sheets before handling to prevent breakage.
Assemble and dust: Dust the heart-cutout cookies with icing sugar. Spread a generous layer of strawberry jam onto the bottom of each whole cookie. Then, sandwich them by placing the dusted cutout cookies on top, sugar side up, to create beautiful jam-filled cookies.

Notes

Ensure the butter is at room temperature for easier mixing and to achieve a tender texture.
Chilling the dough is important to prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
Use good quality strawberry jam for the best flavor and consistency.
If dough becomes too sticky while rolling, refrigerate it again for 10-15 minutes.
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Keywords: jam cookies, strawberry jam cookies, buttery cookies, sandwich cookies, tea time cookies, heart cutout cookies, homemade cookies