After receiving rave reviews all Christmas Season for these cookies that I’d not made for years for some unfathomable reason, I thought it was time I added it to my Oracibo recipes. The recipe for these absolutely wonderful little currant jelly filled beauties comes from the late Carol Field. I was unable to find my pastry tip for the 3 holes and as I’d just tossed out all the straws I just made 1 large hole. It did not affect the taste! You don’t wait until next Christmas to bake up a batch!
Makes 2 ½ to 3 Dozen Cookies
10 oz. unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 ½ cups unsifted unbleached flour
1 cup unblanched ground almonds
1 tsp. cinnamon
Garnish: Powdered sugar
Red or black currant jelly
Make the Cookies:
Either cream the butter in a stand mixer or use a hand-held mixer. Gradually beat in the sugar. Stir in the flour, nuts and cinnamon. Divide dough in half. Roll each piece between waxed or baking parchment to a thickness of 1/8”. Leave on the paper, place on baking sheets, chill until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Remove 1 piece of dough from the fridge, carefully peeling the paper from the top. Cut dough into 1 ½” circles. In half of the circles cut out 3 small holes (an inverted pastry tip works well or a plastic straw). Repeat cutting the circles the same way. Place all the circles on prepared baking sheets and bake about 15 minutes. Don’t let the cookies brown too much, although the ground nuts will naturally colour them somewhat.
Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for a minute, then very carefully transfer to a rack and cool completely. Dust cookies with holes generously with powdered sugar. Spread about ½ tsp. jelly over each solid cookie. Carefully top jellied cookie with a sugared one.
I find that the cookies are at there best if filled not too long before serving. Also I’ve stored the baked cookie discs in the freezer, thawing and filling what I need at the time.
If you have any leftover dough you can roll it into a cylinder, wrap and chill it; then slice 1/8” thick and bake as above.
