Jam Cookies

This time of year can be hard in these climes, when it comes to local, seasonal baking. Storage fruits like apples and pears are reaching the end of their viability and the warm weather berries and stone fruits are still a ways off, as much as we want them to appear. Even southern citrus is at the tail-end of its reign. 

In these in-between moments, especially in spring when we’re craving the taste of fresh fruit, I like to opt for desserts made with jam. This genre of cookies, tarts, and pies offer a great opportunity to use up the stock of preserves you may have put up or accumulated over the winter, they work well with frozen berries, and if you are lucky enough to get your hands on some fresh spring fruit, you can make them into a quick jam.

The featured dessert of Purim— hamentaschen— also features the pairing of pastry and preserves, and baked goods with jam are also perfect for the weather-breaking tea party occasions early-spring offers.



I made these Jam Cookies, the dough recipe adapted from Dorie Greenspan, with some fig and apricot preserves I had in my fridge, as well as a quick frozen strawberry jam I whipped up while the cookies were in the oven. They would also be great with marmalade, apple butter or jelly, or any other preserves you have in your fridge or pantry.



Jam Cookies
Sugar cookie recipe adapted from Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1 stick + 2 Tablespoons (10 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Confectioner's Sugar
Various jams

Directions
1. Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, and orange zest.

2. With a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for 1 minute, until smooth. Beat in the sugar and continue to beat for 2 more minutes, until light and pale in color. Add the egg and yolk and beat for 2 minutes more, then add vanilla extract. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add dry mixture, just until incorporated.

3. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Once chilled, roll out on a floured surface and cut circular cookies. Cut holes in the center of half of the cookies and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

5. Bake for 9-11 minutes, rotating the baking sheet half-way through. The cookies will feel firm, puffed, and just slightly golden when done. Remove pan from oven and let sit for at least 1 minute before moving to a cooling rack.

6. Once cookies are cool, spread jam on the circular cookies and top with a hole-cut cookie. Dust with confectioner's sugar and serve. Keeps in a tin or Tupperware up to 1 week.



Related recipes:
Almond and Grapefruit-Ginger Marmalade Crostata
Apple Butter
Bakewell Tart with Apple Rosemary Jelly
Joulutorttu or Finish Jam Tarts
Meyer Lemon Honey Marmalade Linzer Torte

Joulutorttu or Finnish Jam Tarts

I have a bad habit of putting away food for the winter--frozen berries, jams, pickles, and butters-- only to find them still lodged in the back of my freezer/pantry/fridge when their respective season rolls around again. Some of this is because I've in fact forgotten about said items as they inevitably find their way further and further to the dark corners of the shelves, and some of it is because I always think I need to save those precious jams/berries/pickles for something really special; apparently some impossible badge that no birthday, going away party, or worst snow day can ever merit.



I didn't put up much this year, but I'm more determined to use up what I've got, and as I've said before, I'm also always looking for a way to combine my love for baking with my penchant for preserving. I came across these Joulutorttu (pronounced YO-loo-TOR-too and translating as "Christmas tarts") or Finnish Jam Tarts on Pinterest, via Sweet Paul. The 4-pointed star tarts/cookies are typically enjoyed at Christmas, but I thought they were a delightful vehicle for a little spring cleaning for forgotten jams. Traditionally made with ricotta in the pastry, this recipe replaces it with cream cheese, resulting in a fluffy and flaky crust due to the high fat ratio. While prune jam is standard, you can use whatever flavor preserves you have on hand. I used a variety of cranberry, persimmon, and strawberry.

Joulutorttu

Adapted from Sweet Paul

Makes 3-4 dozen, depending on size

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened and cut into chunks

8 oz. cream cheese (ricotta is traditional), softened and cut into chunks

2 Tablespoons heavy cream

1 egg yolk + 1 egg for sealing tarts

1 cup jam of your choice (I used cranberry, strawberry, and persimmon though prune is traditional)

Confectioner's sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the dough blade, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter and cream cheese, pulsing to combine. Add heavy cream and yolk of one egg. Pulse until well combined then bring dough together in a ball with your hands. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2-3 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. One a clean, floured surface, roll out dough until thin, about 1/8-inch. Cut into 2-3-inch squares. Cut a 1-inch diagonal slice in the center of each corner. Spoon 1 teaspoon of jam in the center of the square, then fold down alternating corners of the square over the jam, using an egg wash to seal.

3. Place tarts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until golden, about 12-13 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack and dust with confectioner's sugar once cooled. Serve at room temperature.

Related recipes:

Almond and Grapefruit Ginger Marmalade Crostata

Bakewell Tart with Apple Rosemary Jelly

Blueberry-Basil Jam

Cranberry Hand Pies

Meyer Lemon Honey Marmalade Linzer Torte

Bakewell Tart with Apple Rosemary Jelly

Forever interested in how I can combine my preserve-making with baking, I've long had my eye on the Bakewell Tart. I was reminded of it recently, on my visit to Pleasant House Bakery, a British-inspired pie shop in Chicago which features it on their sweet menu, right next to banoffee pie (another one to try soon) and various seasonal trifles.

The name for the tart comes from the village of Bakewell in Derbyshire, England, and like the best classic desserts, there seems to be a bit of lore surrounding it. The first recipe for this shortcrust pastry tart with a bottom layer of jam and a frangipane top layer appeared in 1845, but was apparently not given the moniker "Bakewell" until the 20th century. Legend goes though, that it was invented in the mid-1800s by a baker in the town, who by mistake put the layer of jam on the bottom instead of the top, where it was intended to go. There are also Bakewell puddings, similar confections, but with a flaky crust rather than a short crust.



For my version, I used an apple-rosemary jelly that I had made last fall and needed to use up. I adapted the frangipane filling recipe from Smitten Kitchen's version, and tried out the sablé crust recipe from another Chicago bakery, Floriole, straying from my usual Dorie Greenspan recipe. I love this one though-- it comes together easily (you can use your mixer!) and is a little lighter and more shortbread biscuit-like than Greenspan's. I'll still use hers for other recipes, no doubt, but Floriole's is just perfect here.

Apple Rosemary Jelly
From The River Cottage Preserves Handbook

Makes 4-5 8-oz. jars

Ingredients
3 lbs., 6 oz. cooking apples
1 medium bunch of rosemary
7 Tblsp. apple cider vinegar
Granulated sugar

Directions
1. Coarsely chop the apples, but no need to peel or core them. Place them in a preserving pan with rosemary, reserving 6 small sprigs to put into jars. Barely cover the apples with water, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and let simmer, 45 minutes-1 hour, until the apples are quite soft.

2. Pour the contents of the pan into a jelly strainer bag (I used cheesecloth) suspended over a large bowl, and let drip for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

3. Measure the strained apple-rosemary juice. For every cup of juice, measure 1 c. sugar into a bowl and set aside. Return the juice to the cleaned-out pan and add apple-cider vinegar. Heat the liquid to a boil, then add the sugar, stirring until dissolved. Increase the heat to high and boil rapidly for 10 minutes until the setting point is reached, or liquid reaches a temperature of 220 degrees F. Remove pan from heat and skim top with a slotted spoon to remove any scum.

4. Pour jelly into warm, sterilized jars, adding a rosemary sprig to each. Cover jars and seal (make sure to follow proper canning methods--the FDA is a good resource) and use within 1 year.

Bakewell Tart

Crust from Floriole, Filling adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Makes 1, 11-inch tart

Ingredients

For the sablé crust:

8 oz. (2 sticks) soft butter

3/4 c. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

2 large eggs

3 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

For the filling:
1 c. coarsely chopped and blanched almonds
1 1/2 Tblsp. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. sugar
9 tablespoons (1 stick + 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
 1/2 c. apple rosemary jam (or jam of your choice)
Slivered or sliced almonds, for garnish (optional)

Directions

For the sable crust:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter, sugar and salt. Mix until well combined and the mixture just begins to lighten. Add eggs the eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to fully incorporate before adding the next. Add the flour all at once and mix on low speed until homogenous.

2. Form dough into a ball and pat it out into a disc. Wrap with plastic and chill-- Sandra recommends at least three hours or overnight, but I chilled mine for about 2 and it did the trick.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out into a 12-inch circle about 1/4-inch thick. Place the dough into the 11-inch removable bottom tart pan. Press the dough into the corners and remove excess dough. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork and chill while you prepare the filling (at least 15 minutes). 

For the filling:

1. In a food processor, finely grind almonds and flour. Mix in the sugar, then the butter, extract, and lemon zest, blending until smooth. Add the egg and egg white and mix until incorporated. Transfer the filling to medium bowl. Cover and chill at least 3 hours (I was pressed for time so did about 1.5 hours and it was fine). 

2. Preheat oven to 350° F. Spread jam over the base of tart shell. Dollop the almond filling all over the jam, then spread it carefully with an offset spatula. If you're using slivered or sliced almonds as garnish, sprinkle them over the top now. 

3. Bake the tart until golden and a toothpick or fork inserted into the center of the filling comes out clean, approximately 45 minutes. Cool the tart in pan on rack.

4. To serve, push the pan bottom up, releasing tart from pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired and serve warm or at room temperature, with tea.

I set out the tart on an old-timey brew and nosh bar we set up in the living room as an "opening act" to a house concert by my friends Anna Roberts-Gevalt and Elizabeth LaPrelle aka Anna + Elizabeth. There were homemade cordials, infusions, and brews; tarts, citrus poppyseed cake, and spiced nuts; and British ballads, Appalachian fiddle tunes, and original cranky shows.

Related recipe:
Almond and Grapefruit-Ginger Marmalade Crostata