Jam Sandwich Cutout Cookies

With the Fourth of July holiday just days away, you might be looking for a cookie that is festive, delicious, and easy to prepare. Well, two out of three ain't bad. I made these Jam Sandwich Cutout Cookies last week for the first time. These bites of buttery sugar cookies are star shaped and laced with a thin layer of jam. They were a huge hit at Mike's family's second annual BBQ and fireworks watching extravaganza in Point Lookout, New York.

I should tell you something before you begin. These are extremely labor intensive. There. Don't say I didn't warn you. The result is well worth the time and effort. Mike's sister called them "outrageous."

The multi-step process includes making the dough, refrigerating it for 3 hours. Rolling the dough and refrigerating for 1 hour. Spreading the jam on dough and refrigerating for 1 hour. Cutting out the cookies and refrigerating the cookies another 30 minutes before baking. That's a total of 5 1/2 hours of refrigeration time! I know it's not "active time" but it still makes for a long process. I whipped up a batch of red velvet cupcakes in between while I waited patiently each time the dough chilled.

I made the rookie mistake of not reading the whole recipe before I started and ended finishing up at almost midnight. I won't make that mistake again. Ever.

To make this process even more challenging, I made these in our small city apartment where I have exactly 18 inches of counter space to roll the dough if I move the coffee maker out of the way.

Baker's note: Let the dough soften a bit before cutting the stars. This will make cutting the cookies easier to do and the jam will not ooze out as much. Dip the cutter edges in flour if the dough becomes sticky. Try cutting other shapes as well. Next time I will try a round cutter with a scalloped edge.

I found this recipe on Martha's website. She calls them Red, White, and Blue Stars. I prefer to call them Jam Sandwich Cutout Cookies since that's more descriptive. You could really cut them into any shape at all or simply cut them into bite-sized bars before baking.

I recommend making the dough a day or two ahead of time to make the process seem shorter (even though it won't actually be).

I also recommend baking as many of the scraps as you can. The jam oozes out the sides of dough scraps and after baking, made a deliciously crispy and sweet cookie.

Jam Sandwich Cutout Cookies

Yield: about 40 cookies (depending on size)

5 cups cake flour (not self-rising or all purpose)
plus more flour for rolling
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons heavy cream, plus more for brushing
3/4 cup raspberry jam
3/4 cup blueberry jam
2 tablespoons sanding sugar

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl.

Cream butter and granulated sugar with a mixed on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla until well combined. Add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with cream and beating well after each addition. Shape dough into four disks, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate for at lease 3 hours (or up to 3 days).

On floured parchment, roll 1 disk of dough into a 1/8 thick rectangle (mine ended up as an oval despite my best efforts to roll a rectangle). Repeat with remaining disks. Stack sheets of dough and parchment on a cookie sheet, and refrigerate for 1 hour or freeze for 30 minutes.

Spread the raspberry jam on 1 sheet of dough, blueberry jam on the other. Top each with a plain sheet of dough and refrigerate for 1 hour or freeze for 30 minutes. I used a jar of my homemade raspberry jam which is so sweet and delicious.

Cut out cookies using a 2 1/2 inch star-shaped cutter, and space 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush with cream, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. I used Demerara sugar. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or freeze for 15 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden, 16 - 20 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool completely. Bake extra dough scraps.