Delicate and tender, these jam filled cookies will melt in your mouth. You can choose any jam you like but apricot goes particularly well with walnuts and for additional color, rosehip or raspberry are terrific. To avoid gluttony, I throw the assembled cookies in the freezer; they freeze beautifully and I can take out a couple at a time for my afternoon coffee and treat.
Cookie Dough
This is a very soft cookie dough so I highly recommend rolling the dough between two sheets of parchment using the refrigerator on an as-needed basis to chill the dough so that it is less sticky. Patience is key here–chill with the dough and you will be rewarded with something special.
Assembling your jam-filled walnut sandwich cookies
My absolute favorite apricot jam to use for cooking (or anything for that matter) is Oregon Growers; they also have a supremely delicous marionberry jam. You may be unfamiliar with rosehip jam but give it a chance! It’s unique and delicious; Maintal brand is my favorite! Yes, that’s right… I have a favorite rosehip jam.
Walnut Sandwich Cookies
A delicate and gorgeous cookie for any occasion
Ingredients
1/2 cup plus 2 T superfine sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup toasted walnuts
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp.
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
jam of your choice
powdered sugar for dusting
Directions
- In a food processor, chop the walnuts and 2 T of superfine sugar until walnuts are chopped very finely. Be careful here not to go too long or you will have walnut butter.
- Cream butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes; add vanilla and egg yolks. Mix and scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Add the flour and walnuts and mix on low just until combined.
- Gather the dough into a ball and divide in half. Shape into discs, wrap in plastic and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- Roll out dough between two pieces of parchment until very thin; I actually got my ruler out and this was between 1/4″ and 1/8″ thick. Put the dough back in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes or so until it is firm.
- Cut out desired shapes; leave half the cookies whole and cut a smaller circle or shape into the other half. Chill again as needed so that the dough doesn’t stick.
- Preheat oven to 325º. Transfer cutouts to parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 11-13 minutes or until just golden.
- I had two sizes: small geometric cutouts and round 2 1/2″ cutouts. For the small cutouts I baked 11 minutes and for the more common 2 1/2″ size I baked 13 min.
- Let the cookies cool completely and then spread the solid cookies with a thin layer of jam. Dust the cut-out cookies with powdered sugar and place those on top of the jam covered cookies.
Notes
- You can store these at room temperature for a couple of days; they will continue to get softer but they are still quite delicious. They freeze well; take them out of the freezer one hour before serving.
