Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Strawberry Shortbread Cookie Cups

Strawberry Jam 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.

3 comments:

Ez said...

OMG these look too delicious Biz! Of course I must make them now, but we are snowed in and I don't have enough eggs. Sadness. Enjoy your cookies! I'll just be drooling on my keyboard until the sun melts the snow away. xo Ez

Lisa said...

Those cookies look so bright and pretty. I love how simple they are. I have a sweet treat linky on my blog called "Sweets for a Saturday" and I'd like to invite you to stop by this weekend and link your cookies up. http://sweet-as-sugar-cookies.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

not sure how i stumbled here, i think maybe from creaturecomforts blog! but i think your blog is great and i am trying out these cookies tomorrow! also, i read all three of the hunger games in 3 days. i didn't stop. it was a problem. but they are fantastic in their entirety!