november | december 2019 96
JAM-FILLED KOLACZKI COOKIES
Makes about 22 cookies
Popular throughout central and Eastern Europe
around the holidays, these jewel-toned cookies
consist of a tender cream cheese dough folded over
your favorite thick preserves or jam and dusted
with confectioners’ sugar. Our recipe is true to the
original, save for one decadent detail: rather than
dusting with confectioners’ sugar, we drizzled our
cookies with a creamy glaze for a festive touch.
½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces (115 grams) cream cheese, softened
1 cup (120 grams) confectioners’ sugar,
divided
2 teaspoons (2 grams) lemon zest (about
2 medium lemons)
¾ teaspoon (3 grams) vanilla extract, divided
1¼ cups (156 grams) all-purpose fl our
½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground cardamom
½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
⅓ cup (100 grams) thick jam or preserves
2 tablespoons (30 grams) heavy whipping
cream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fi tted with the
paddle attachment, beat butter and cream
cheese at medium speed until smooth and
well combined, about 1 minute, stopping to
scrape sides of bowl. Add ⅓ cup (40 grams)
confectioners’ sugar, lemon zest, and
½ teaspoon (2 grams) vanilla; beat at medium
speed until well combined, about 1 minute. - In a medium bowl, whisk together fl our,
cardamom, and ¼ teaspoon salt. With mixer on
low speed, gradually add fl our mixture to butter
mixture, beating just until combined. (Dough will be
sticky.) Shape dough into a 5½-inch square, about
¾ inch thick, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate
until fi rm, at least 2 hours or overnight. - Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking
sheets with parchment paper. - On a heavily fl oured surface, roll dough to
⅛-inch thickness, lightly fl ouring dough and
work surface as needed. (If dough is refrigerated
overnight, let stand at room temperature until
softened, 10 to 15 minutes, if needed). Using
a 2½-inch square cutter, cut dough, rerolling
scraps as needed. Using a large off set or fl at
metal spatula, place on prepared pans. - Spread about ¾ teaspoon (4.5 grams)
jam on each square, leaving about a ¼-inch
border. Fold 2 opposite corners of dough over
jam, and press together lightly to seal, using a
small amount of water to adhere. Repeat with
remaining cookies. - Bake until lightly golden, about 12 minutes.
Let cool on pans for 2 minutes; remove from
pans, and let cool completely on
wire racks.- In a small bowl, stir together
cream, remaining ⅔ cup
(80 grams) confectioners’
sugar, remaining ¼ teaspoon
(1 gram) vanilla, and remaining
¼ teaspoon salt until smooth; spoon into a small
piping bag, and cut a ¼-inch opening in tip.
Drizzle glaze onto cookies.
VIENNESE SANDWICH COOKIES
Makes about 18 sandwich cookiesWe are obsessed with Gemma Staff ord’s take
on the traditional Viennese whirl. The recipe,
Simplest Buttery Viennese Fingers, is featured in
her cookbook, Bigger Bolder Baking: A Fearless
Approach to Baking Anytime, Anywhere.
Here, we reimagine the British teatime favorite as
holiday-ready sandwich cookies packed with warm
winter spice. We added mulling spices for a touch of
warmth and fi lled these wintry sammies with sweet,
sophisticated Cherry-Port Buttercream.2 cups (454 grams) unsalted butter, softened
⅔ cup (80 grams) confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons (16 grams) packed orange zest
1½ teaspoons (3 grams) ground cinnamon
1½ teaspoons (3 grams) ground ginger
1½ teaspoons (3 grams) ground cloves
1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground allspice
½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground black pepper
3⅓ cups (417 grams) all-purpose fl our
6 tablespoons (48 grams) cornstarch
Cherry-Port Buttercream (recipe follows)- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Using
a permanent marker, draw 36 (4x1-inch)
rectangles, evenly spaced, on 3 sheets of
parchment paper (12 per parchment). Turn
parchment over, and place on 3 baking sheets. - In the bowl of a stand mixer fi tted with the
paddle attachment, beat butter, confectioners’
sugar, orange zest, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt,
nutmeg, allspice, and pepper at medium speed
until well combined and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes,
stopping to scrape sides of bowl. - In a medium bowl, sift together fl our and
cornstarch. With mixer on low speed, gradually
add fl our mixture to butter mixture, beating
until combined. - Place about 1 cup (247 grams) dough into
a piping bag fi tted with a medium open star
tip (Wilton 4B); pipe small dots of batter
under parchment to adhere to baking sheets.
Using drawn rectangles as guides, pipe batter
in a zigzag pattern. (Dough will take some
eff ort to pipe.) Repeat with remaining dough.
Refrigerate for 15 minutes.- Bake until lightly golden and fi rm to the touch,
about 14 minutes, rotating pans halfway through
baking. Let cool on pans for 5 minutes. Carefully
remove from pans, and let cool completely on
wire racks. - Spoon Cherry-Port Buttercream into a large
piping bag fi tted with a medium open star tip
(Wilton 4B); pipe about 2 tablespoons
(30 grams) buttercream onto fl at side of half of
cookies. Place remaining cookies, fl at side down,
on top of buttercream. Serve immediately.
CHERRY-PORT BUTTERCREAM
Makes about 2⅔ cups¾ cup (170 grams) ruby port
¼ cup (80 grams) cherry preserves
1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened
½ teaspoon (2 grams) vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups (480 grams) confectioners’ sugar- In a small saucepan, bring port and preserves
to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to
medium; cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture
reduces to ¼ cup, 15 to 20 minutes. Strain
mixture through a fi ne-mesh sieve, pressing out
as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Let cool
completely. - In the bowl of a stand mixer fi tted with the
paddle attachment, beat butter at medium speed
until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in
vanilla and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually
add confectioners’ sugar until combined. Add
2 tablespoons (about 34 grams) cooled port
mixture; beat at medium speed until fl uff y and
well combined, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape
sides of bowl. Use immediately.