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Jam-Filled Cream Cheese Cookies
Cream cheese and butter beat together with just a tablespoon of sugar before the flour goes in — the fat ratio is high enough that the dough rolls out smoothly after a chill without cracking. Each round gets a spoonful of poppy seed paste, apricot jam, or prune filling at the center before folding. At 135 minutes including rest time, the project is patient work, but yields 36 cookies with flaky, paper-thin layers and a lightly sweet dough that lets the filling lead.
Equipment
- Oven
- Hand Mixer
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 3 / 4 cup [180 g] cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup [220 g] unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 1 / 2 cups [350 g] all-purpose flour
- 3 / 4 cup [225 g] prepared poppy seed, apricot, or prune filling or thick jam of choice
Instructions
- 1Beat the cream cheese, butter, and granulated sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and gradually mix in the flour just until combined. Overmixing will make the pastry tough instead of flaky.
- 2Split the dough into two equal portions. Shape each piece into a thick disk and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or up to a full day, until the dough is firm enough to handle.
- 3Preheat the oven to 350°F [180°C] and lightly grease two baking sheets.
- 4Take one disk of dough out of the refrigerator. Keep the second disk refrigerated so the butter doesn't melt before rolling. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a rectangle or square about 1/8 inch [4 mm] thick. Cut the rolled dough into 2 1/2-inch [6-cm] squares.
- 5Spoon 1 teaspoon of your chosen filling into the center of each dough square. Fold two opposite corners into the middle and pinch them firmly together to seal the cookie. Arrange the shaped cookies on the prepared baking sheets with about 1 1/2 inches [4 cm] of space between them. Repeat the rolling, cutting, and shaping process with the remaining chilled dough and filling.
- 6Bake in the middle of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cookies turn lightly golden. Allow them to cool on the baking sheets for a minute or two before moving them to wire racks. Dust the warm cookies with sifted confectioners' sugar, then let them cool entirely.
Notes
- Storage: Keep the fully cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- Make ahead: The cream cheese dough can be prepared and kept in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before rolling and baking.
- Tip: Use a thick, high-quality jam or preserve. Thin jellies will melt and run out of the cookies during baking.
Recipe Details
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