Raspberry Gems

These sandwich cookies are the kind of thing that makes people ask for the recipe at every holiday party. A tender, flaky sour cream dough rolled thin, cut into tiny rounds, sandwiched with raspberry jam, sugar-glazed, baked, then half-dipped in melted chocolate and sprinkled with chopped almonds. They’re fussy, but the results are stunning.

The dough is more like a pastry than a cookie dough: flour, softened butter (or margarine), and sour cream stirred together. No sugar, no eggs, no leavening. The sour cream makes it incredibly tender and flaky, almost like a pie crust. It needs a full 3 hours of chilling before you can roll it thin enough.

Roll to ⅛ inch and cut small, 1 ¾ to 2 inches across. Spread ¼ teaspoon of jam on half, top with the other half, brush with a sugar-water glaze, and bake. Once cool, dip one side in melted chocolate mixed with shortening for a glossy finish.

Chef Tips

• Chill the dough the full 3 hours. Undercooled dough is too soft to roll thin and sticks to everything.
• Use only ¼ teaspoon of jam per cookie. More than that squeezes out during baking and burns.
• Melt the chocolate over very low heat with shortening. The shortening keeps the chocolate glossy and prevents it from seizing.
• Work in batches when dipping. Once the chocolate cools and thickens, rewarm gently.

Variations

• Apricot filling: Swap raspberry jam for apricot preserves and use white chocolate for dipping.
• Lemon curd: Fill with lemon curd instead of jam for a tarter, brighter cookie.
• Pistachio finish: Replace the almonds with finely chopped pistachios for a green-and-pink color contrast.