Jelly Christmas Eyes
Submitted by delobelle
Jelly Christmas Eyes are sandwich cookies with a window cutout showing raspberry or strawberry jelly through the center, coated in sugar. A festive holiday cookie plate classic.
YIELD
1 batchPREP
10 minCOOK
10 minREADY
60 minThese sandwich cookies look like little stained glass windows on a Christmas cookie tray. A whole round cookie on the bottom gets spread with bright red raspberry jelly, then a ring cookie with a cutout center goes on top, framing the jelly like an eye peering through. A shake in sugar gives them a sparkling finish.
The dough is tender and nutty, made with ground almonds (or walnuts) and brightened with lemon juice and zest. Chilling the dough for 30 minutes firms up the margarine so it rolls thin without sticking or tearing. Roll to ⅛ inch thickness for cookies that are crisp and delicate rather than thick and cakey.
You’ll need two sizes of round cookie cutters: a 2-inch cutter for all the circles, then a smaller one to punch the center out of half of them. Keep the small cutouts and bake them too. They make great little bite-sized cookies on their own.
Chef Tips
- Chill the dough again for 10 minutes if it gets too soft while cutting. Warm dough loses its shape in the oven
- Spread the jelly thin. Too much and it squeezes out the sides when you press the ring on top
- Bake the rings and solid circles on separate sheets if possible. The rings may bake faster due to less dough
- Assemble only after cookies are fully cool or the jelly will melt and slide
Variations
- Use apricot jam for a golden-colored center instead of red
- Dust with confectioners’ sugar instead of granulated for a snowier, more elegant look
- Add a pinch of cinnamon to the dough for a warm, spiced version
Ingredients
Directions
10 to 12 minutes per batch 1. Cream margarine and sugar in mixing bowl. Add egg, lemon juice and lemon rind. Mix until smooth. Add flour and nuts. Wrap in plastic wrap and flatten. Refrigerate dough 30 minutes. 2. Heat oven to 350℉ (180℃). Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to ⅛ inch thickness. Use a round 2-inch cookie cutter to cut out circles from dough. Cut out an inner circle with a smaller round cookie cutter from half of the circles to make a “cookie ring". 3. Bake circles and rings until light golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Spread a small amount of jelly on each whole circle. Press a cookie ring on top of it. Shake the cookies one at a time in a bowl of sugar to coat well. Store in a covered dish. Note: Confectioners’ sugar can be used to coat the cookies in place of granulated.
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