Blackberry Filled Sandwich Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Blend together butter, sugars, vanilla, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl with a fork. Stir in flour and nuts (dough will be sticky).
• Form level tablespoons of dough into balls (total of 40) and arrange 2 inches apart on 2 ungreased large baking sheets. Flatten balls to 1/3 inch thick using bottom of a glass dipped in flour. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until edges are golden, about 20 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Spoon 1 teaspoon jam onto flat sides of 20 cookies, then sandwich with remaining cookies.

Steps:

• Cream butter, shortening and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk; cover. Refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-in. round cookie cutter. Place half of the circles onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Spread 1 teaspoon spreadable fruit in the center of each circle; top with remaining circles, pressing edges lightly to seal., Bake until light brown, 10-12 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

Steps:

• Beat butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks to butter one at a time, blending well after each addition.
• Mix flour, white sugar, baking powder, cardamom, and salt together in a bowl. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture until just combined. Divide dough in half and wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Freeze for at least 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Grate 1 ball of frozen dough evenly into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan. Spread blackberry jam over grated dough, leaving 1/2-inch space around the edges. Grate the second ball of frozen dough over the jam.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. After shortbread cools, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and cut into bars.

Steps:

• FOR THE COOKIES:.
• Heat the oven to 325F; line 2 very large baking sheets (or possibly 3 smaller ones) with baking parchment.
• Toast the almonds in the oven, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 min, or possibly till tinged with brown; set aside to cold.
• Reset the oven to 300°F.
• Grind the cooled almonds and 1/2 Celsius of powdered sugar in a food processor till very fine but not oily.
• Thoroughly stir the remaining powdered sugar into the almonds.
• Combine the granulated sugar and 3 tablespoons of warm tap water in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Bring just to a boil, stirring.
• Cover the pan and boil for 1 1/2 min to allow the steam to wash the sugar crystals from the sides of the pan.
• Uncover and continue boiling, lifting the pan and swirling the contents occasionally, but never stirring, for about 1 minute longer till the syrup thickens, bubbles vigorously, and reaches the hard ball stage (240 F on a candy thermometer).
• (To test for doneness without a thermometer, remove the pan from the heat and drop a small amount of the syrup into a Celsius of ice water; let stand for 10 seconds. The syrup should form a hard ball when squeezed between the fingers.)
• Set the syrup aside.
• Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed till frothy.
• Add in the cream of tartar, raising the mixer speed to high.
• Continue beating just to soft peaks; turn off mixer.
• Return the syrup to the burner and reheat just to simmering.
• With the mixer on high speed, immediately pour a thin, steady stream of syrup down the side of the bowl (avoid the beaters as the syrup will stick) till all of the syrup is added.
• Add in the vanilla and almond extracts.
• Continue beating till the mix cools to lukewarm.
• Use a rubber spatulaspatula to fold the almond mix proportionately into the beaten egg whites.
• Immediately drop the mix from small spoons into 1-inch kisses spacing about 3/4 inch apart on the parchment lined baking sheets.
• (Alternately, pipe the mix into 1-inch rounds using a pastry bagpastry bag fitted with a plain or possibly open star 3/8-inch diameter tip.)
• Place the pans staggered on racks in the center half of the oven.
• Bake for 19 to 22 min, reversing pans from front to back and switching racks about halfway through, till barely tinged and hard on top but still slightly soft inside.
• Let the pans stand on wire racks till the meringues are completely cooled. Peel from the paper; store in an airtight tin till assembly.
• To prepare the buttercream:
• Beat togather the butter, powdered sugar, and preserves till light and fluffy. Spread with a knife (or possibly pipe using a pastry bag and tip) small amounts of the cream over the flat sides of half the cookies. Top with the remaining meringues, pressing together tightly.
• Store the cookies airtight and refrigerated for up to 24 hrs; they will soften too much if left longer.
• (For longer storage, freeze, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 weeks; thaw just before serving.)
• Allow the cookies to warm to room temperature before serving.