Christmas Cookies

Christmas is the perfect time to fill your home with the sweet aroma of freshly baked cookies. These delightful jam-filled cookies are a classic holiday treat that everyone will love.

image: Slada

Chocolate Balls:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 3 packets vanilla sugar (or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons crème fraîche (or sour cream)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips or melted dark chocolate

Preparation:

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, and powdered sugar into a large bowl.
2. Add the vanilla sugar (or extract), lemon zest, cinnamon, egg, and crème fraîche.
3. Cut the butter into small pieces and add it to the mixture, followed by the mini chocolate chips or melted chocolate.
4. Quickly knead everything together until a smooth dough forms.
5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Colorful Cookies:

Ingredients:

• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• A pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup finely chopped dark chocolate (or milk chocolate if preferred)

Preparation:

1. Sift the flour into a large bowl and add a pinch of salt.
2. Add the egg, egg yolks, sugar, and softened butter.
3. Finely chop the dark chocolate and stir it into the dough mixture.
4. Mix all the ingredients with a wooden spoon until combined. Then briefly knead the dough by hand on a lightly floured surface.
5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Jam-Filled Cookies:

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 7/8 cup unsalted butter or margarine (about 2 sticks)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons fruit jam (any flavor, but raspberry or apricot works beautifully)
• Optional: powdered sugar for dusting

Preparation:

1. Combine the flour, butter, sugar, and egg to form a smooth dough.
2. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
3. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and use cookie cutters to create shapes. For half of the cookies, cut out small holes in the center.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Place the cookies on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for about 10 minutes, or until lightly golden.
3. While still warm, dust the cookies without holes in powdered sugar.

1. Stir the jam well to ensure it’s smooth.
2. Spread a small amount of jam on a whole cookie and top it with a cookie that has a hole in the center to form a sandwich.