Equipment Needed
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Medium and small mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Plastic wrap
- Rolling pin
- 2-inch round cookie cutter
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- Wire cooling rack
- Piping bag with a small round tip, or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off
Step-by-Step Instructions
First, I make the dough. In my stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, I beat the softened butter and one cup of powdered sugar together on medium speed for a full 2-3 minutes. Don’t rush this step! I let it go until it’s incredibly pale, fluffy, and almost whipped. This incorporates air and is the secret to the cookie’s tender crumb. Then, I scrape down the bowl and add the egg yolk, vanilla, and almond extract, mixing until just combined. In a separate bowl, I whisk together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low, I slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. I mix only until the dough just comes together and no dry streaks remain. Overmixing here can lead to tough cookies.
Now, I turn the soft dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap, shape it into a disc, wrap it tightly, and chill it. This is a crucial resting period. I refrigerate it for at least one hour, but I’ve found that two hours is the sweet spot. The first time I made these, I was impatient and only chilled for 30 minutes. The dough was too soft to roll cleanly, and my cookie shapes were messy. The longer chill makes the dough firm and manageable, ensuring your cookies hold their beautiful round shape when cut.
While the dough chills, I make the raspberry cream filling. I simply beat the 4 tablespoons of softened butter with the one cup of powdered sugar and the raspberry jam until it’s completely smooth and creamy. If I’m using it, I add the tiniest drop of gel food coloring here to boost that beautiful pink hue. I then scrape this filling into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (or a zip-top bag) and let it sit at room temperature until I’m ready to assemble. This filling is a dream—it’s pipeable but stable.(See the next page below to continue…)