Since I didn’t have to clean my house for company this year, I baked up a storm and mailed a variety of cookies to those I love. These Raspberry-filled Christmas Sandwich Cookies were a big hit with everyone. The homemade raspberry jam filling was the perfect tart complement to the sweet, buttery cookie. Yum. Double yum.
“Home is where the cookies are.” Kasha
I usually roll cutout cookies to about a ¼-inch thick, which is the perfect bite for most recipes. For sandwich cookies, I think think the best ratio of filling to cookie is a top and bottom that together make a ¼-inch cookie, so I roll the dough ⅛-inch thick and cut both the top and bottom from that. Then when I sandwich them together with the filling, the amount of cookie doesn’t overwhelm the filling. (Of course, all that goes out the window for whoopee pies and gingerbread, which have to be as thick as possible. But those recipes are for another day!) What is your preferred ratio of cookie to filling in a sandwich cookie?
Cookie specifics
The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe. I came across this sugar cookie recipe from Cookies & Cups several years ago and fell in love with it. It is so easy and delicious...no need to wait for your butter to get to room temperature and no need to chill the dough before cutting out and baking the cookies. The cookies are crisp on the edges and soft inside. Thank you, Shelley, for the perfect sugar cookie recipe.
Shapes
2½-inch round and/or fluted-edged cookies cutters, plus a ½-inch tiny tree cookie cutter for the cutout in the top cookie.
Sizes
The cookie sandwich pieces are 2½ inches in diameter and the tiny tree cutout is ½ inch. 2½ to 3 inches is my favorite size cookie for decorating and eating!
Cookie Recipe from This Talented Cookie Artist
The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe. Original recipe from Cookies & Cups.
My Family Recipe: Seedless Raspberry Filling
Seedless Raspberry Filling: I’ve been making this raspberry filling for years. It’s super easy, with only a few simple ingredients. The flavor is amazing...bright and tangy. I like to make my own filling so I can control the sweetness level. I prefer a tart raspberry jam, especially when the cookie itself is relatively sweet. The sweet and the tart combination makes for the perfect sandwich cookie. When I’m in a hurry, I’ll use seedless raspberry jam, which is also quite delicious.
Cookies
The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe: flour, butter, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla, baking powder, pure vanilla extract, salt
Filling
Seedless Raspberry Jam: raspberries, sugar, water, cornstarch
Plate, Box or Bag?
Box. Everything this year was boxed up for mailing! My favorite package is a cardboard bakery box with a clear window on top that makes the contents visible to anyone who wants to peek. Depending on the size of the cookies (2½-to-3 inches is my favorite size to make), the boxes I use can hold about 12 to 18 cookies. For these sandwich cookies, I took the time to also wrap each one in a clear food-safe bag for additional protection and to make sure the jam didn't run out from one cookie to another (see below).
Bags. I wrapped each sandwich cookie individually in clear, food-safe bags, secured with a twist tie. This makes it easier to fit a lot of cookies into a box without causing damage to the decorations.
Mailing. This year I mailed cookies to everyone...family and friends throughout the U.S. (and even overseas). I sent them Priority Mail through the U.S. Post Office. They all arrived safely, some later than expected, but all the cookies were eaten regardless of how long it took them to arrive. I know the packages were appreciated because of the texts with pictures of lots of smiling faces. I also got a request for the recipe for these sandwich cookies. That’s how good they are!
What I’ve learned...
No matter how you celebrate the holidays, homemade cookies can make the occasion more fun while bringing a personal touch to family and friends who are far away. These cookies were made with the best ingredients I could find and baked in small batches. I’ve experimented with less expensive ingredients, but have come to the conclusion that flavor is best when I use the best. Why spend all this time baking and decorating if taste and texture are just so-so? Decorating the cookies takes time, but it’s an enjoyable process for me and I know that those who receive them appreciate that. Life is just better when you can share something you love with someone you love. Don’t you agree?
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