Homemade Holiday Gift: Jam Filled Spitzbuben Cookies

I've been teaching a German Cookie and Sweets class at PCC this month.  Although there are many wonderful cookie recipes, the Spitzbuben, a jam filled sandwich cookie has been the hands-down favorite. They originated in Switzerland and migrated north to Germany. I thought I'd share the recipe here with you too.

Spitzbuben

Makes about 30 cookies

Prep time: 60 minutes including chill time

Baking time: 10 to 12 minutes

1½ cups unsalted butter, softened (3 sticks)

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I like a Nielsen Massey Vanilla)

1 egg

3½ cups flour, plus more for dusting

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Powdered sugar for dusting

¾ cup raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 325º F.

Beat butter and sugar with a hand mixer until fluffy. Add vanilla and egg and beat. Mix in flour and salt.

Transfer dough to a floured surface and form it into a disk. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thick. Using a 2-inch fluted round cookie cutter, cut out cookies and transfer to parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spaced 2 inches apart. Chill for 30 minutes.

Using a 1¼ -inch plain round cookie cutter, cut out the centers of half the cookies; discard the centers.

Bake cookies until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool.

Dust cookie rings with powdered sugar. Place 1 teaspoon of jam in the center of each whole cookie. Spread the jam to within ⅛ inch of the edge. Top each with a cookie ring.