These are delicious Italian Christmas or anytime cookies. The dough can be made plain or you can add ¼ cup poppy seeds or finely ground nuts. You can also fill with chocolate ganache instead of jelly or jam.
Strawberry, raspberry, or cherry jelly or jam
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
2 t vanilla or almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ t fine sea salt
Put jelly or jam in a small bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, beat together butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
You can also do this with a hand held mixer.
Add egg yolks and vanilla or almond extract and mix well.
Gradually add the flour and salt, beating on low until well combined.
Cover and place dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Roll dough into small balls and place onto a baking sheet.
Press an indentation with a thimble or end of a wooden spoon (dipped in flour) on each ball and add a small amount of jelly or jam.
Bake cookies until edges turn golden, about 13 to 15 minutes.
Let cookies cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Place wire rack back on baking sheet and let cookies cool for at least 30 minutes before glazing.
The baking sheet will catch the overflow of glaze.
Glaze
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 T cream or milk
1 t vanilla or almond extract
Combine glaze ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
Drizzle over cookies with a spoon.
