Strawberry Shortbread Cookie Cups

It all started with this, then I rediscovered an old favorite and finally I came up with my own version! These are very easy to make and it makes your house smell SO good. No candle can beat the smell of real butter + sugar + jam baking in the oven. By the way, you can also roll this dough into a long tube (like ready-made cookie dough tubes in the supermarket), chill, cut into 1/2" thick circles, toss in sugar and then bake at 350F (12-15 mins or until golden around the edges). Just as good and even easier. I blame all this baking on this never ending snow we're getting. What else is a girl to do? AND can you believe we might be getting more this week??

Ingredients:
3/4 cup Superfine sugar
5 oz Unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 3/4 cup All-purpose flour
3 Large egg yolks
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 cup Granulated sugar (for coating)
1/2 cup Strawberry Jam for filling

Using a stand mixer, paddle mix butter + sugar until smooth. Add the flour and mix until combined. Add eggs one at a time. Mix until everything is combined. Form the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk with your hands and wrap in cling wrap. Chill in regrigerator until firm for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F
Roll dough to 1/2” thickness and cut out round circles (~2“). Gently make a round indentation in the center of the cookie with your thumb or the back of a teaspoon 1/4 teaspoon sized measuring spoon to make the “jam cup”. Gently toss each cookie in a bowl of sugar. Place the sugar-coated cookies on a parchment lined pan. Add a teaspoon 1/4 teaspoon of jam on each cookie. Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes, or until slightly golden around the edges (very important!). My oven takes about 15 minutes.

Of course I can't leave well enough alone... I'll be making another batch today using half confectionery sugar and half superfine, just to see :) I'll let you know what happens!

**UPDATE** I tried using half confectionery sugar and half superfine and surprisingly it really didn't make that much of a difference. Maybe a little lighter in texture, but nothing too noticeable.

PS. I finished the first book of The Hunger Games series in one night - I'm officially addicted. I started the second one last night and I think I only have one chapter left... must pace myself.