The Best Jam Cookies

 These strawberry jam cookies are made of a delectable shortbread dough, where delicious strawberry jam is sandwiched between two cookies. They store really well - so you can make them in advance, and serve them when the time is right

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ¾ cup icing sugar, sifted, plus extra for dusting
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted, plus extra to roll out the dough
• ½ cup strawberry jam

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. In stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat together butter, icing sugar, salt and vanilla until light and fluffy. This may take a bit – at least 3 minutes. Continuing with the stand mixer, add flour to the mixture until just combined. At this point, a ball of dough will begin to form.
2. Remove dough from stand mixer, and knead with your hands until a full ball forms, about 1 minute. Wrap in plastic wrap, and place in fridge for at least 30 minutes. This will allow the dough to harden so it’s easier to roll out.
3. On a floured surface, roll out dough with a rolling pin, adding extra flour to your rolling surface and rolling pin if dough begins to stick. Roll out to ¼ inch thickness.
4. Using 3 inch circle cookie cutter, cut out circle shapes, rerolling and cutting scraps.
5. Using 1 ½ inch heart cookie cutter, cut out shape in center of half of the circle cookies.
6. Arrange whole and cutout cookies on parchment-lined baking sheet
7. Bake on top and bottom racks, rotating and switching pans halfway through, until edges are light golden, about 15-20 minutes.
8. Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool
9. Dust icing sugar over cutout cookies. Spread jam over bottom of each whole cookie. Place on cookie with jam filling, sugar side up