Peanut Butter and Jam Hearts

These cookies remind me of two exciting things: Valentine's Day and peek freans. Valentine's Day is the greatest. Embrace it. It is the greatest excuse in the world to put hearts on everything. Seriously. Just a minute ago I had a piece of toast except I took the liberty of using a cookie cutter to make it a heart. Wuddup?! Sorry. Here is some proof of my Valentine's Day obsession: here, here, here annnnd here.

These remind me of peek freans because I ate them both the same way. When I was but a wee lass, I had to eat the surrounding circle of peek freans and save the fruit center for last. It drove my Mum crazy. "PUT THE COOKIE DOWN!" Imagine that in an Arnold Schwarzenegger accent and my mum isn't even Austrian. "POWDA!" Now imagine that in a Schwarzenegger and you have every ski trip with my brothers and I screaming that down the mountain. 

Peanut Butter and Jam Hearts

From Martha Stewart Living February 2011

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter (chunky is the best, but don't use natural)
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup strawberry or raspberry jam, stirred to loosen

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat butter and sugars until pale and fluffy. Beat in peanut butter, then egg. Slowly beat in flour mixture until dough forms. If dough is sticky, refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough into 1 1/2-inch balls (about 2 tablespoons each). Arrange on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1 1/2 inches apart. Press into 1 3/4-inch rounds using the bottom of a lightly floured glass. Press hearts into centers using your fingertips. Start by poking two indents for the top and shape the bottom to form a heart. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven, and reshape hearts using your fingertips or the handle of a wooden spoon. Fill indentation of each with a generous 1/2 teaspoon jam to fill the heart. Bake until cookies are firm, 5 to 7 minutes more. Makes 28 cookies.

Shortbread and Jam Sandwiches

My life is relaxed right now and even that is an understatement. School has yet to begin, the bustle of the holidays is over, my job is as calm as ever and all this time has led to complete joy. But it is somewhat strained by this nagging thought that school still right around the corner and there are still no textbooks in my possession. Who needs textbooks the first week anyway? Right now it is all about me and Dawson's Creek. Due to strong commitment on my part, seasons one and two have flown by. I must buy season three! .. And stupid educational materials.

Everyone loves sandwiches. Fact. If one were to tell me otherwise they would be incorrect. Fact. Dwight K. Schrute and I are one? Fact. Sandwiches also remind me of lunch. Lunch is something I bring to school. Now following this train of thought that means one could bring this cookie for a lunch. Fact.

Shortbread and Jam Sandwiches

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

2 cups flour

1 cup cornstarch

1 cup icing sugar

Large pinch of kosher salt 

2/3 cup jam

Preheat oven to 300º with the rack in the center. Beat the butter. Sift in the flour, cornstarch, icing sugar and salt. Mix until soft smooth dough forms, just until combined. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface or between two pieces of parchment or wax paper. Roll out to just above 1/8 inch. Cut out into 2 inch circles or whatever desired shape. Place on ungreased or parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining half of the dough and repeat. Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes rotating the sheets halfway through. You do not want these to brown! Cool ten minutes on the sheet then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Spread jam on one cookie and sandwich two together. Makes about 18 sandwiches.

Rugelach

This year my friends and I decided to celebrate Hanukkah. In honour of this celebration we thought we would give Jewish home cooking a try. One of my friends brought matzo ball soups, another brought brisket, another brought challah and I provided the latkes and rugelach. To my great surprise, I loved it all. I had my doubts about it but my god is it good! The decision of which recipe to try for the rugelach was the real challenge. I looked through my Martha Stewart cookie book and the recipes appeared to be tasty, but not too authentic. But in the end I went the not so authentic route with cherry, chocolate, walnut rugelach. But trust me, these babies are good. The jam on the inside keeps them moist but the outside wash with sugar gives a nice crusty outside layer. The dough actually tastes like a shortbread, all the more reason to try them!

Chocolate Chip, Cherry and Walnut Rugelach
Adapted from Bon Appetit

dough
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 ounces chilled cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces*
filling
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup cherry preserves
1/2 cup dried cranberries or sour cherries
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup finely chopped, toasted walnuts
wash
1/4 cup cream (half and half, whipping, etc.)

dough: Blend first 3 ingredients in a food processor. Add butter and cream cheese and cut in using pulsing turns until the dough begins to clump together. Gather dough into ball. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces; flatten into disks. Wrap each in plastic and refrigerate 2 hours. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated. Let soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.)
filling: 
Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Roll out 1 dough disk on floured surface to 9-inch round. Spread 3 tablespoons cherry preserves over dough, leaving 1-inch border. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons dried cherries, then 2 tablespoons chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar and 2 tablespoons walnuts. Press filling firmly to adhere to dough.
assemble: Cut dough round into 8 equal wedges. Starting at wide end of each wedge, roll up tightly. Arrange cookies, tip side down, on prepared baking sheet, spacing 1 1/2 inches apart and bending slightly to form crescents. Repeat 3 more times with remaining dough disks, preserves, cranberries, chocolate chips, cinnamon sugar and walnuts. Place baking sheet in freezer 30 minutes.
bake: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Brush cookies lightly with cream and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar mix. Bake frozen cookies until golden brown, about 40 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool completely. These can be made ahead. Just store in airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week or freeze up to 1 month. Makes 32 cookies.
* I used 25% reduced fat cream cheese, because I had it on hand, and it worked well.