Empire Cookies
We are one day away from December and this past weekend has thrown me completely into Christmas mode. To be honest, it really doesn’t take much, but two days of Black Friday shopping and a few Christmas carols, and I am ready to dive head first into the shopping, gift wrapping, and holiday baking. My grandma has made empire cookies around the holidays for as long as I can remember, and they have always been one of my favorites. My loving them is a bit surprising since I usually prefer rich desserts, but I can never get enough of the buttery shortbread-type cookies with jam sandwiched between them and topped with a simple icing. I can’t believe they haven’t been on the site prior to this, so I’m thrilled to share them with you. Let the holiday baking begin!
I love coloring the icing to reflect the festive season, so these are topped with red icing. I didn’t have green food coloring or I would have used that as well. You could always use the regular white icing plain, or top the white icing with red and/or green sprinkles.
You can use your favorite type of jam in these cookies and while I typically use raspberry jam, I was able to try a set of Crofter’s Superfruit Spreads recently and used the South America spread, which is Maqui berries and passionfruit blended with red grapes and morello cherries. This stuff is seriously good. So good. These spreads are 100% organic and include four unique fruit combinations from different regions of the world and are sweetened with fair-trade sugar. The variations include:
♦ Asia – Raspberries and yumberries blended with morello cherries and red grapes.
♦ Europe – Pomegranates and black currants blended with red grapes and morello cherries.
♦ North America – Wild cranberries and blueberries blended with red grapes and morello cherries.
♦ South America – Maqui berries and passionfruit blended with red grapes and morello cherries.
These spreads are perfect for any recipe that calls for your favorite jam, and will liven up your breakfast toast or PB&J sandwich.
I love these spreads and love that the company was founded by an immigrant family, so I'm thrilled to give away sets of Crofter’s Superfruit Spreads to TWO lucky readers, who will be selected at random. Each set includes the four spreads pictured and described above. The giveaway guidelines:
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Deadline: Wednesday, December 3, 2009 11:59pm EST
Required: Your email address. You must fill out the email address portion of the comment form (it will not be published) or I will not be able to contact you should you win.
Restrictions: Due to shipping restrictions, this giveaway is only for those with U.S. and Canada mailing addresses. My apologies to international readers!
How to Enter: It's simple! Leave a comment on this post and answer the following question: What is your favorite recipe using jam?
For an Extra Entry: Tweet about this giveaway, post about it on your blog, or post about it on Facebook. Then come back and leave a link to your Tweet, blog post, or Facebook post for a possible 3 extra entries.
Good Luck!
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
The giveaway is now closed and the two winners have been selected by Random.org.
Congratulations to commenter #61, Jennifer! Her favorite recipe using jam:
“my favorite recipe with jam has to be caramelized onions. you cook some little pearl onions in a couple teaspoons of Currant jam/jelly, among other things…unfortunately I'm blanking on what else goes in there, oops! but anyway, they're SO GOOD. I love having them as part of a holiday meal.”
And congratulations to commenter #218, Annie! Her favorite recipe using jam:
“I love Italian plum crostata. The recipe uses my parents' backyard plums . Because there is an overbundance, and we are unable to eat them all at once, my Mom makes plum jam which she uses in the recipe.“
Empire Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature, (4 ounces)
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (113.33 g) of your favorite jam
For the Icing:
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon milk
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat; set aside.
- 2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour and baking powder; set aside.
- 3. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture just until combined.
- 4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a little less than ¼-inch thick. Using a 1¾-inch round or fluted cookie cutter, cut out rounds. Place about one inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes, just until the edges start to color. Watch closely, as they can get too dark rather quickly! Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- 5. Spread bottom side of half of the cookies with about ¼ teaspoon of jam. Top with remaining cookies.
- 6. To make icing, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk, adjusting the milk and powdered sugar to reach the desired consistency. Spread over the tops of the cookies. Let stand until icing is completely dry. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
i loved these lingonberry jam muffins i had at a scandinavian christmas fair. they were light with the jam inside and powdered sugar outside. very delicious. in fact, i’m hoping to get some at the fair this coming weekend!
I’m partial to my raspberry cream cheese brownies – a great blend of flavor and texture!
Every year my kids and I make Linzer Cookies and I can only imagine how exquisitely delicious they would be with Crofter’s Superfruit Spread! YUM!
MMM, I have been having really boring jams haven’t I? Didn’t know such great combinations were out there!
Baked brie with apricot jam and slivered almonds. Mmm!
WOW, I have no idea other people know about maqui, I’mfrom Chile and we used to have it all the times when out on the country
My favorite recipe using jam is on a yummy slice of warm bread with peanut butter.
Thumbprint cookies!
My mother-in-law’s recipe for raspberry-chocolate bars. They have a shortbread crust, seedless raspberry jam, a chocolate drizzle, and nuts. They are delicious!
I love love, love homemade linzer raspberry clove heart cookies. They’re sort of a butter cookie using only cloves for spices. They’re shaped like hearts with a hole in the top of the sandwich through which the jam peeks. I haven’t made them in forever because I haven’t had great jam in forever. I’ve never actually seen Empire cookies before. They look like pure genius.
I love lemon raspberry thumbprint cookies, sweet and simple!!!
I love brownies with jam swirled on top–it makes me think of chocolate covered strawberries. Sigh. YUM. (I linked on my facebook page and my twitter but don’t know how to link back here?)
My favorite jam to use is Strawberry jam in the middle of the thumbprint cookies. Yum!
i love jammed cocktail weenies: toss in your crockpot 1 cup fruit jam, 1 cup yellow mustard, and a bag of hickory farms lil’ smokies and you have yourself a party in a pot!
mmmmm . . . those empire cookies look GREAT!!! my favorite recipe using jam is thumbprint cookies – similar story, my grandmother always made them around the holidays, so they’re now a staple for my family, too :) please count me in for this great giveaway!
My favorite is paczkis – I’m not even Polish, but these jelly filled doughnuts would make me think about trying to become Polish! Yum yum! I don’t make them very often, but they’re SO good and an absolute must for Fat Tuesday!
I like raspberry pecan bars. YUM
I know this is hardly a recipe, but nothing beats jam and butter on toast! With a hot cup of tea!
I’m sure if given enough time I could think of something much better but for my money, there is nothing more delicious than a perfectly buttery thumbprint cookie filled with sweet raspberry or strawberry jam.
I have a great recipe to marinate meatballs in a sauce with apricot jam and then serve over rice!
My jam recipes usually involve toast, english muffins or homemade bread :) I have made my own jam from berries growing in my yard, but I truly love most everything about jam. The jars, the labels, the jewelled colors.
This is an easy question! Considering we are in the full holiday swing, my favorite recipe using jam would be thumbprints. Raspberry thumbprints are my favorite and coming in a close second would be strawberry thumbprints. Yum! I want to make a batch now!
Thanks for the giveaway! I’m a big fan of jams in any flavor and a PB&J fanatic. I’ve had jams in cookies and cakes, but nothing beats that salty/sweet combination of Peanut Butter and Jam/Jelly/Preserves sandwiches…..unless the jam is spread on buttered biscuits, still hot from the oven!!!
My favorite recipe for jam is chocolate thumbprint cookies. They’re my husband’s favorite cookies so baking them makes me smile.
Wow. Those cookies look absolutely delicious. I’m glad its finally Christmas cookie season.
My favorite jam recipe is actually a thumbprint cookie recipe with jam in the middle. My mom would always make them around Christmas time for us.
PB&J sandwiches! I’ve never cooked anything with jam, but I’m sure looking forward to trying!
My favorite is my grandma’s traditional birthday cake with a layer of jam in the middle!
a warm brie with a good jam to spread over it!
strawberry jam for thumbprints of course! thanks for entering me in this giveaway!
Thumbprint cookies have always been a holiday tradition in my family & I am passing on the tradition.