Cookie of the Day: Jam Swirls from ‘The Art of the Cookie’
Every week, Yahoo Food spotlights a cookbook that stands out from the rest. This week’s cookbook is The Art of the Cookie: Baking Up Inspiration by the Dozen by Shelly Kaldunski (Weldon Owen), a cooking teacher, food stylist, and cookbook author specializing in sweets. Read more about Yahoo Food’s Cookbook of the Week here.
Photograph by Maren Caruso
Jam Swirls
Makes about 30 cookies
Swirls of jam in the center of these cookies keep them soft and chewy on the inside, while the exterior remains crisp. You can vary the filling by using your favorite jam.
All-purpose flour for dusting
Dough for Vanilla Sugar Cookies (see below)
2 cups (20 oz/625 g) strawberry jam
1⁄4 cup (2 oz/60 g) sanding sugar or granulated sugar
Tools needed
Offset spatula; chef’s knife
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured work surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a 16-by-12-inch (40-by-30-cm) rectangle about 1⁄4 inch (6 mm) thick. Starting at the short end closest to you and using an offset spatula, evenly spread 1 cup (10 oz/310 g) of the jam over half of the dough, leaving a 1⁄2-inch (12-mm) border. Starting at the end covered in jam, roll up the dough tightly until you reach the center point of the dough forming a log.
Carefully invert the dough, flipping the log so that the long portion of dough not covered in jam is on your right and the rolled log is now on your left. Evenly spread the remaining 1 cup of jam onto the other half of the dough. Roll up the dough, tightly forming a log, until you reach the center of the dough. The two rolls should be rolled up in opposite directions, meeting in the center. Gently press the two rolls together. Use a chef’s knife to trim the uneven ends. Refrigerate or freeze the log until firm, about 10 minutes.
Using a sharp knife, cut the roll crosswise into 30 slices about 1⁄2 inch thick. Use a metal spatula to transfer the slices to the prepared sheets, spacing them 11⁄2 inches (4 cm) apart. Sprinkle each cookie with sugar.
Bake the cookies until lightly golden around the edges and the tops are barely colored, 16–19 minutes. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Store the cookies in an airtight container, layered between sheets of parchment paper, at room temperature for up to 4 days
Vanilla Sugar Cookies
Makes about 30 cookies
Buttery and crisp, these sugar cookies have a delicate vanilla flavor that makes them delicious on their own. Transformed with icing and sprinkles, they become even more appealing and festive.
3 cups (15 oz/470 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 oz/250 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
11⁄4 cups (10 oz/315 g) sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon heavy cream
In a bowl, whisk together the 3 cups flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on low speed until the egg is completely incorporated. Beating on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and continue to beat until almost incorporated. Add the cream and beat on low speed until just incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Press the dough into a rough rectangle, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to overnight. (The dough can be wrapped well and frozen for up to 1 month.)
Follow the desired recipe for rolling and cutting, or do the following: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll out the chilled dough until about 1⁄4 inch (6 mm) thick. Using cookie cutters or a paring knife, cut the cookies into the desired shapes. Use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to the prepared sheets, spacing them 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Press the dough scraps together, roll out, and cut out additional shapes.
Follow the desired recipe for baking and cooling or do the following: Bake 1 sheet at a time until the cookies are lightly golden around the edges but the tops are barely colored, 16–19 minutes (or as indicated in the recipe). Let cool on the sheets for 5 minutes. Using the metal spatula, transfer to wire racks and let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Decorate the cookies as desired.
Reprinted with permission from The Art of the Cookie: Baking Up Inspiration by the Dozen by Shelly Kaldunski (Weldon Owen).
More cookie recipes to love:
Dark Chocolate and Cherry Mandelbrot
Chocomint Cookies With Milk Chocolate Middles
Fruit and Nut Christmas Cookies
