Shortbread Cookies with Jam

5 from 3 votes

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.

Course Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine algeria, France

Prep Time 50

Cook Time 10

Total Time 1

Servings

Calories 209kcal

Author Alexandria Drzazgowski

Equipment

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

Recipe edited and approved by Chahinez Tabet Aoul (Lifestyle of a Foodie) from Algeria.

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

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