Description
Jammy star cookies are delightful buttery shortbread stars sandwiched with a luscious raspberry or strawberry jam and buttercream filling. These charming cookies feature a smaller star-shaped cutout on the top cookie, revealing the vibrant jam inside, perfect for tea time or as a sweet gift.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 175g cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 pinch of salt
- 100g golden icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk
Filling
- 50g unsalted butter, softened
- 160g icing sugar
- 120g seedless raspberry or strawberry jam
Tools
- 2 star cutters, one around 6cm and one around 3cm
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: Blitz the cold butter, plain flour, and a pinch of salt in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the golden icing sugar and blitz again. Add vanilla extract and egg yolk, then blend until dough balls form.
- Knead and chill: Tip the dough onto a work surface and knead briefly into a smooth ball. Divide into two equal pieces, pat each into discs, then wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Roll out the dough: Remove dough from fridge 15 minutes before rolling to soften slightly. Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll one dough disc out to the thickness of a 50p coin (approximately 3mm).
- Cut the stars: Use a 6cm star cutter to cut out about 15 stars from the rolled dough and transfer them carefully to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Prepare second batch: Roll out the second dough disc and cut another 15 stars. Transfer these to a second baking sheet, then use the smaller 3cm star cutter to cut out the centers of 15 stars, creating holes for the jelly to show through. Cover and chill for 15 minutes.
- Bake the cookies: Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4. Bake the cookies for 10-15 minutes; the stars with holes require less time. Cool them on the baking tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the filling: Whisk softened butter, icing sugar, and 50g of the jam together with an electric whisk until smooth and creamy. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag with a small round nozzle or a ½cm opening.
- Prepare jam piping bag: Put the remaining 70g of jam in another piping bag and make a small hole slightly smaller than the buttercream nozzle.
- Assemble the cookies: Pipe blobs of the buttercream around the edge of each whole biscuit, leaving a space in the center. Fill the center space with jam. Sandwich with the star-cutout cookies on top to create your jammy star cookies.
- Storage: Store the finished cookies in an airtight container for up to three days to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Ensure the butter is cold for flaky shortbread texture but softened butter is used for the filling.
- The smaller star cutouts allow jam to peek through, adding an attractive visual element.
- Rolling dough to uniform thickness helps even baking.
- Use seedless jam to prevent clogs in the piping bag and smoother filling.
- Chilling dough both before rolling and after cutting helps maintain cookie shape during baking.
- Cookies keep best in an airtight container but are best enjoyed fresh within three days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: Jammy star cookies, shortbread cookies, buttercream filling, raspberry jam cookies, star-shaped cookies, festive cookies, jam sandwich cookies
