Shortbread Cookies with Jam, also known as Sables in Algeria, are a delicious cookie sandwich usually topped with powdered sugar and filled with some type of jam. These shortbread cookies are delicious in all contexts and are a perfect way to impress at your next Christmas party.
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On the hunt for a new, unique cookie for the next cookie exchange? You’ve come to the right place!
These Sables, or shortbread cookies, are delicious, delicate, and picture perfect.
I love the simplicity of buttery, tender shortbread cookies. They are so versatile with a light texture that is so delicious. The addition of jam gives these sandwich cookies a beautiful pop of color (like little gems on each cookie) and flavor that makes them a must-have for the holiday season.
If you are looking for just the right buttery cookies to balance out the sugary, chocolatey goodness of all the other cookies you’ve got planned (and want to add a burst of color to your cookie platters), add these Shortbread Cookies with Jam to your list! They are sure to become a holiday favorite.
Recipe Origin
Sables most likely originated in Normandy in the French city of Sablé-sur-Sarthe. Sable translates to “breadcrumbs” or “sandy” and that may be what this dough resembles at times, as the cold butter blends into flour and sugar.
The cookies were first created for royalty, but have since spread to many French bakeries and neighboring nations. They are particularly popular in Algeria where you can find them served with a nice cup of hot tea and a light coating of powdered sugar.
Why Make This Recipe?
This recipe is part of The Sweetest Season, an annual virtual cookie swap co-hosted by Erin of The Speckled Palate and Susannah of Feast + West. Every year, food bloggers get together to share new holiday cookie recipes to make and give.
This year we are raising money for Cookies 4 Kids’ Cancer, which is a recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to funding research for new, innovative and less-toxic treatments for childhood cancer.
Help us raise money for this important cause! Donate through our fundraising page.
- Beautiful Look: There is something so cute and picturesque about that sliver of jam poking through between the cookies. You don’t get a lot of color variation with other types of cookies, so it’s fun to play around with the aesthetic of this element.
- Versatile Cookie: This cookie features a very simple shortbread, topped with any jam you desire. You could easily mix up the flavors to fit many different preferences.
- Taste of Algeria: These cookies are often considered French, but they are very popular in Algeria as well. Whatever far-off destination you are dreaming of–these cookies could help give you a taste of it.
What Do I Need to Make This Recipe
Ingredients
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter!
- Pantry Staples: Granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, baking powder, powdered sugar, vanilla extract.
- Egg: Use a large egg.
- Jam: I used raspberry preserves because I wanted the red color, but you could also use your favorite jam or preserves. Choose the flavor that you like the best! Make sure it is a high-quality jam for the best flavor.
Tools
- Wooden Spoon
- Sifter
- Rolling Pin
- 2.5” Cookie Cutters
- Smaller, Shaped Cookie Cutters
- Oven Mitt
- Aluminum Foil
- Pot(s)
How to Make This Recipe
Step One: Mix the Dough
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the sugar with a hand mixer for about 2-3 minutes until light in color and fluffy in texture.
Beat in the egg & vanilla. Then use a wooden spoon to mix in the dry ingredients, flour, and baking powder.
The dough will look very dry and crumbly at first. Keep mixing until it sticks together in one ball. Your dough should be soft but not sticky. If your dough is very sticky, add a few more tbsp of flour (one at a time, testing between each so you don’t add too much flour) into the dough. I added about 3 tbsp of flour to my dough.
Step Two: Cut the Cookies
Once your dough has the right consistency, flour a countertop or large cutting board and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to about ⅛” thick.
Use a 2.5” cookie cutter to cut out the top and bottom cookies from the dough. On the “tops”, use another, smaller cookie cutter to cut out a center shape so that you can see the jam through the dough.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (shiny side up) or parchment paper and bake the cookies for about 8-10 minutes. I like mine to be just turning yellow on the bottom. Allow the cookies to cool on the tray, then remove the cookies from the tray and place them on a wire rack.
Put the powdered sugar in a sifter and sprinkle powdered sugar over the cookie tops.
Step Three: Add the Jam
Put the jam in a pot on the stove and heat until it just begins to boil to make a thick jam. You can also microwave it for about 1 minute if that is easier.
Once the jam has begun to cool, spread a teaspoon of jam on each butter cookie “bottom”. Place the “top” over the jam (being careful not to put your fingerprint in the powdered sugar), and allow the cookies to cool completely before enjoying.
Expert Tips
- This dough doesn’t require refrigeration but if you let the dough have some chill time in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes you may find it easier to roll out and cut.
- Be careful not to overmix this dough. It will result in tougher cookies.
- Powdered sugar often gathers into large clumps. To ensure an even coating and snow-like look on your cookies, use a sifter.
- Don’t overbake. I like to bake these just until the bottom starts to turn golden brown to keep them light and soft.
- This recipe is for a very simple shortbread cookie dough. You could dress up the simple shortbread dough to your liking by adding some orange zest, lemon zest or a few drops of almond extract
FAQS
I love these cookies with a simple raspberry jam, which blends so perfectly with the buttery flavor of the cookie, but you can use any jam you like. I recommend:
Strawberry
Boysenberry
Blueberry
Peach
Blackberry
Cranberry
Cherry
Orange marmalade
Fig
Apricot Jam
You could also use chocolate ganache or even caramel (in which case they would turn out more similar to Alfajores Argentinos)!
It may be easier to store these cookies if they are not coated in powdered sugar, but that takes away from some of their beauty.
Save these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days. You can also freeze them for several months.
You can cut these cookies into any shape you like. I’ve seen them cut into very cute hearts for Valentine’s Day or Christmas trees for Christmas time.
Whatever cookie cutters you have will work, just make sure you adjust your cooking time depending on the size of the cookies. These are intended to be smaller cookies.
When I first made this recipe I found a cup in my cupboard that worked very well as a cookie cutter and I’ve also found an empty can has a rough edge that makes it perfect for this purpose.
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Shortbread Cookies with Jam
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour, more as necessary
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup raspberry jam , or preserve of your choice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup butter and the ½ cup sugar for about 2-3 minutes until light in color and fluffy in texture.
- Beat in the 1 egg & 1 tsp vanilla. Then use a wooden spoon to mix in the 2 ½ cups flour and 1 tsp baking powder.
- The dough will look very dry and crumbly at first. Keep mixing until it sticks together in one ball. Your dough should be soft but not sticky. If your dough is very sticky, add a few more tbsp of flour (one at a time, testing between each) into the dough. I personally added about 3 tbsp of flour to my dough.
- Once your dough has the right consistency, flour a countertop or large cutting board and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to about ⅛” thick.
- Use a 2.5” cookie cutter to cut out the top and bottom cookies from the dough. On the “tops”, use another, smaller cookie cutter to cut out a center shape so that you can see the jam through the dough.
- Line a baking tray with aluminum foil (shiny side up) and bake the cookies for about 8-10 minutes. I like mine to be just turning yellow on the bottom. Allow the cookies to cool on the tray, then remove the cookies from the tray.
- Put ¼ cup powdered sugar in a sifter and sprinkle powdered sugar over the cookie tops.
- Put ½ cup jam in a pot on the stove and heat until it just begins to boil. You can also microwave it for about 1 minute if that is easier.
- Once the jam has begun to cool, spread an equal amount on each cookie “bottom”. Place the “top” over the jam (being careful not to put your fingerprint in the powdered sugar), and allow the cookies to cool completely before enjoying.
Notes
- Butter: Use unsalted butter!
- Pantry Staples: Granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, baking powder, powdered sugar, vanilla extract.
- Egg: Use a large egg.
- Jam: I used raspberry preserves because I wanted the red color, but you could also use your favorite jam or preserves. Choose the flavor that you like the best! Make sure it is a high-quality jam for the best flavor.
- This dough doesn’t require refrigeration but if you let the dough have some chill time in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes you may find it easier to roll out and cut.
- Be careful not to overmix this dough. It will result in tougher cookies.
- Powdered sugar often gathers into large clumps. To ensure an even coating and snow-like look on your cookies, use a sifter.
- Don’t overbake. I like to bake these just until the bottom starts to turn golden brown to keep them light and soft.
- This recipe is for a very simple shortbread cookie dough. You could dress up the simple shortbread dough to your liking by adding some orange zest, lemon zest, or a few drops of almond extract
Nutrition
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