Spitzbuben (German jam cookies)

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup red berry jam

Step-by-step preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt.
3. In another bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy.
4. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat well to combine.
5. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until a smooth dough forms.
6. Divide the dough in two and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
7. On a floured surface, roll out each half of the dough to about 1/4 inch thick.
8. Using a round or star-shaped cutter, cut the dough into equal shapes.
9. Cut a hole in the center of half of the shapes with a smaller cutter to make a little window.
10. Place the cookies on the lined baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10–12 minutes, until golden at the edges.
11. Take the cookies out of the oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
12. Meanwhile, warm the jam in a saucepan over medium heat until soft and spreadable.
13. Lay out the whole cookies and spread a teaspoon of jam in the center of each one.
14. Top with the cookies with a hole and press gently so the jam spreads and sticks the cookies together.
15. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.