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A Valentine’s Day celebration!
But this year, my heart is set on Jam-Jam Cookies
Browsing through Mom Helena’s recipe book, the recipe for Jam-Jam cookies caught my eye.
These were a childhood favourite. Mom’s homemade plum jam sandwiched between two soft caramel cookies ….
Mom Helena used a sewing thimble to make a perfect circle in the top round….
….and it was usually my job, after mom had rolled out the dough to the perfect thickness, to use the thimble to cut out all of the little circles.
I recall taking care to aim for the middle with the thimble, and to gently press down on the soft dough to carefully cut out the circle – the idea being that the cut-out dough would then be scooped out of the thimble and re-incorporated into the bowl of dough to make more cookies.
The little cut-out circles seldom made it back into the bowl.
Why does cookie dough taste so good?
Jam-Jam Cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus a 36-hour rest)
Baking Time: 5-7 minutes
Yield: 4-5 dozen (depending on the size of the cookie cutter)
Ingredients:
230 g (1 cup / 250 mL) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
210 g (1 cup hard-packed / 250 mL) dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup (80 mL) golden cane syrup (Rogers’ or Lyle’s)
1 teaspoon (5 mL) pure vanilla extract
525 g (3 ½ cups) all purpose flour
½ teaspoon (2.5 mL) salt
2 teaspoons (10 mL) baking soda
An assortment of jams
A little melted butter
Sanding sugar or granulated sugar
Method:
1. In a mixer bowl, cream butter with the brown sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs and and continue to mix until fully incorporated.
3. Add the cane syrup and vanilla, mixing until well combined.
4. In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir to fully combine.
5. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture, mixing until just combined.
6. On a lightly floured surface, dump dough and flatten into two disks (this will assist with rolling out the dough). Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours (preferably 36).
7. On baking day: Remove dough disks from refrigerator at least an hour prior to baking.
8. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Prepare baking sheets with a layer of parchment.
9. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the disks of dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into rounds, re-rolling dough as necessary. In half of the cut rounds, cut out a centre using a variety of shapes – or just a circle. These will be your ‘top’ rounds. On each of the top rounds, brush on a little bit of melted butter, and sprinkle with some sanding sugar or granulated sugar. Transfer all rounds to prepared cookie sheets.
10. Bake for 5-7 minutes.
11. Continue with the remaining dough, ensuring that you always have a bottom and a top round.
11. When baked rounds have cooled, spread a teaspoon of jam on the bottom round and top with a ‘top round’.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Questions and comments are always welcome alex@chilipeppersandpears.com
