Fresh Strawberry Jam Cookies (Printable Version)

Buttery cookies with a fresh strawberry jam center, ideal for teatime or sharing.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cookie Dough

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 large egg yolk
04 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
05 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
06 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Strawberry Jam Filling

07 - 3/4 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
08 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
09 - 2 teaspoons lemon juice

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a small saucepan, combine diced strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until strawberries break down and mixture thickens, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
03 - In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk and vanilla extract, beating until combined.
04 - Gradually add flour and salt, mixing until a soft dough forms.
05 - Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll into balls. Arrange on prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
06 - Use your thumb or the back of a teaspoon to make an indentation in the center of each dough ball.
07 - Fill each indentation with approximately 1/2 teaspoon of cooled strawberry jam.
08 - Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until edges are just turning golden.
09 - Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • They look fancy enough to impress but honestly take less time than ordering takeout.
  • Fresh strawberry jam means you taste the actual fruit, not corn syrup pretending to be berries.
  • The dough comes together so easily you can make these with one hand tied behind your back, though I wouldn't recommend testing that theory.
02 -
  • Room temperature butter is non-negotiable—if you forget and use cold butter, your dough will be crumbly and sad instead of tender and delightful.
  • Overfilling the wells teaches you a hard lesson about jam running everywhere, so start conservative and you can always add more.
03 -
  • Slightly underripe strawberries hold their texture better in jam than fully ripe ones, so don't wait for perfect berries to get started.
  • A tiny squeeze of lemon juice in the jam is the secret ingredient that makes people ask what makes it taste so good, then feel foolish when you tell them it's just lemon.
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