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Shortbread
Cookies: In
a bowl whisk the flour with the salt.
In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat
the butter until smooth (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until well
combined. Beat in the vanilla extract. Gently stir in the flour
mixture just until incorporated.
Divide the dough
in half and then roll each half
between two sheets of parchment or wax paper until it is about 1/8 inch (6 mm)
thick. As you roll, periodically check the top and bottom sheets of parchment
and smooth out any wrinkles. Place the dough on a baking sheet (along with the
parchment paper) and place in the refrigerator until firm (about
30-60 minutes). (For faster chilling, place in the freezer for about 15-20
minutes).
Once chilled,
remove from refrigerator and peel off the top piece of parchment paper. Using
about a 3 inch (7 cm) heart shaped cookie cutter, cut out the cookies. Use a smaller
heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out the centers of half of the cookies. (You will be
sandwiching two cookies together and there will be a small 'window or cut out'
in the top cookie so you can see the jam underneath.)
Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment, spacing
the cookies about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Then
put the baking sheet with the unbaked cookies in the refrigerator to chill while you
preheat the oven to
350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, or
just until
cookies are lightly browned around the edges. Cool on a wire rack.
To Assemble Cookies:
Place the cookies with the cut-outs on a wire rack and
dust the tops
with the confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar.
On the bottom surface of the
full cookie (top of cookie will face out) spread a thin layer of melted white
chocolate. Cover with a thin layer of jam (about 1/2 teaspoon). Place the cut-out
cookie on top and gently sandwich them together, making sure not to smug the
confectioners' sugar. Using a small spoon, fill
the cut-out with a little more jam.
Makes about 12
- 14 sandwich cookies.
Note: You can store the
assembled cookies for several days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Raspberry Jam: In a small bowl stir the pectin into the
sugar. Place the frozen unsweetened raspberries and the sugar mixture in a
medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently, over medium
heat. When it's at a full boil, adjust the heat to keep the mixture at a full
boil and, stirring frequently, cook for about five to six
minutes. Do not let it burn. (As the jam boils, you will notice large
bubbles and some foaming. You can skim off the foam if you like. As the jam
continues to boil the foam will subside, the bubbles will get smaller, and the
jam will become darker in color with a glossy sheen.) Remove from heat and, if
you like, do the 'Freezer Test'
to check its consistency. Place a little jam on a frozen spoon, wait a
minute for the jam to cool down, and check the consistency. If the jam isn't
firm enough, return the saucepan to the heat and cook the jam a little longer.
Once made, stir in the
lemon juice and, if desired, strain to remove the raspberry seeds. Transfer to a heatproof jar or
bowl and let cool. Then cover and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
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