Raspberry Jam Shortbread Cookies

                                             

If the title doesn’t have you drooling over your keyboard already than the sweet smell of shortbread cookie dough surely will. This recipe was inspired by the delicious raspberry jelly sugar cookies at a local supermarket back in the States. I swear when I put this cookie in my mouth I knew immediately that this recipe was a keeper, maybe something I could pass down to my kids in the future. My number one priority now though is to memorize it, however long it make. Overall, it’s a really simple recipe the jam filling is a 1 to 1 ratio so I guess half of the recipe is memorized already. I did wonder while I was making this recipe, what is the difference between jam and jelly? So, the obvious way to find out was to find the definition of each one and compare them.  
Definitions:                                                                    
Jam: A sweet spread or preserve made from fruit and sugar boiled to a thick consistency                         
Jelly: A sweet, clear, semisolid, somewhat elastic spread or preserve made from fruit juice and sugar boiled to a thick consistency
Okay, so apparently they are about the same thing, so I have decided to call things cookies ‘raspberry jelly’ and not ‘jam’ just because jelly sounds more appetizing and jam seems more like a breakfast item. I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as I did/do.                         

- - - - - -recipe- - - - - - 

Ingredients

     raspberry jelly

2 cups frozen or fresh raspberries
2 cups sugar
    shortbread cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. confectioner’s sugar (powdered/icing sugar)
1 tsp. white vanilla flavoring (it gives the cookie more of a vanilla flavor but pure vanilla extract is fine)
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into cubes
1 tsp. water, room temperature

Ready, set, BAKE!
Place a clean jelly jar of glass container in the freezer to chill. If you are using fresh raspberries rinse them. Place the raspberries in a pan and cook over gentle heat for 2-3 minutes, 5-6 minutes if using frozen raspberries, until the juices are just beginning to run.
Add the sugar and stir over a gentle heat for 1-2 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Then increase the heat and bring to a vigorous boil for 5-10 minutes. Be careful not to burn yourself as the juices do splatter.
Remove from the heat and test the jam by dabbing a little on one of the cold jelly jar. Cool for a few seconds, and then push the jam with your fingertip. If it wrinkles, it has reached setting point. If not, boil for a further 2 minutes then test again. When the setting point is reached, spoon the jam into the jars.

Preheat the oven to 375°F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl add the flour, salt and confectioner’s sugar; mix together until combined. In the same bowl add the vanilla, butter and water. With your hands mix everything together until a smooth ball forms. Cover the ball with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes or until firm.
Once the dough is firm, roll it out so that it is about a 1/4 of an inch thick. With a biscuit cutter (5-cm in diameter) cut out an even number of circles, until there is barely or any dough left. Place half of the circles on the baking sheet, allowing 1/2 cm between each. With a tbsp. place the jelly in the center of each circle. Take a circle from your work bench and place it directly on top of a circle with jelly.
To seal the cookies gently press the edges together with your finger. Repeat until all cookies are jellied (invented culinary term), covered and sealed. If desired, lightly wet your index finger with lukewarm water and run it around the edges of the cookies to give them a better form.
Bake for 12 minutes or until cookies are slightly soft to touch. Chill cookies until cool to touch.
   
Wooden Spoon Wonders original recipe (please linkback to this recipe if used on another website)