Raspberry Jam Sandwich Cookies
These Raspberry Jam Sandwich Cookies hold a particular place in my heart. They were my favorite cookie my mother made when I was growing up, and I love making them now to share with my own family.
Make them round, as my mom does, or use square cutters with scalloped edges, as I did here.
Made with my Basic Cookie Dough Recipe, they keep their defined edges and bake up soft and buttery around a bright, jammy center.
Good to Know
Prep Time: 30 minutes | Bake Time: 10 minutes | Makes: 27 cookies
Equipment Needed: Square Cookie Cutter Set with 2 different sizes, rolling pin, wire cooling rack
Quick Tip: For clean, defined scalloped edges, make sure the rolled dough is very cold and firm before cutting.
Texture/Flavor Profile: Buttery, soft, jammy.
Why You’ll Love These Jam Sandwich Cookies
- Made for a holiday cookie box: The powdered-sugar window tops make these cookies especially beautiful for gifting or sharing.
- Bright and buttery: Raspberry jam adds a tart-sweet contrast to the soft, buttery cookies.
- Reliable cut-out dough: Based on my Basic Cookie Dough, these cookies hold their shape in the oven, so scalloped and fluted edges stay defined.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
Refer to the printable recipe card below for ingredient quantities and detailed instructions.
- Basic Cookie Dough: You will need 2 portions of the base cookie dough for these cookies. This makes 27 sandwich cookies in total.
- Raspberry Jam: Use a smooth jam without large fruit pieces for even spreading and a clean window center.
- Powdered Sugar: For dusting the window tops before filling the cookies.
How to Make Raspberry Jam Sandwich Cookies
1. Roll the dough between parchment sheets to an even 1/6-inch (4 mm) thickness, then cut out the fluted squares.
2. Cut a small window from half the cookies, then place the window tops and solid cookies on separate chilled baking sheets.
3. Bake until lightly golden, cool completely, then dust the window tops with powdered sugar.
4. Spread about 1/2 teaspoon of raspberry jam over each solid cookie, keeping it just inside the edges.
5. Set a powdered-sugar-dusted window top over each jam-covered cookie and press gently to make the sandwiches.
Substitutions & Variations
- Jam: These cookies work well with most fruit jams, such as strawberry, blueberry, or mixed berry. Choose a jam that is not overly runny and does not contain large fruit pieces.
- Shapes: Use any two nested cookie cutters. Choose classic rounds, scalloped squares, scalloped squares, or a mini heart cookie cutter for Valentine’s Day.
Tips for Perfect Jam Sandwich Cookies
- Bake the bottoms and window tops separately: The cut-out window tops brown faster than the solid cookie bottoms, so bake them on separate baking sheets. Remove each batch when light golden; the cookies will brown slightly more as they cool on the baking sheet.
- Bake directly from frozen: The cut-out cookies can go straight from the freezer to the oven. Simply add a couple of minutes to the baking time and use the same light-golden cue for doneness.
- Roll the dough to an even thickness: This helps the cookies bake evenly and prevents thinner sections from over-browning. I like using this rolling pin with thickness rings for a consistent 1/6-inch (4 mm) thickness.
- Work with very cold dough for defined edges: Cookie cutters make the cleanest scalloped or fluted shapes when the rolled dough is very cold and firm. If the dough starts to soften in a warm kitchen, freeze it between the parchment sheets for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting.
Recipe Testing Notes (What Worked Best)
If it’s 90°F when you decide to make these (as it was when I was developing the recipe(!), I found that rolling the dough between parchment sheets, freezing it until firm, then cutting the shapes and chilling the baking sheets again gave me the cleanest scalloped and fluted edges. When the dough warmed before baking, the cookies spread more and lost some of that defined shape.
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Make Ahead and Storage Info
For Gifting: If the cookies will be enjoyed a few days after baking, bake them for a few extra minutes, until the edges are a shade deeper golden. The jam softens the cookies as they sit; the extra baking time helps them hold up better for gifting.
Room Temperature: Finished cookies can be kept at room temperature in a cool, dry spot for up to 5 days.
Freezer: You can freeze the dough for up to 3 months and the unfilled baked cookies for up to 2 months. Thaw baked cookies completely and let them dry, then dust, fill, and assemble.
Add These to a Christmas Cookie Box
With their bright raspberry centers and fluted shape, these jam sandwich cookies add color and a delicate cut-out style to a holiday cookie box. Pair them with Chocolate-Dipped Chocolate Cookies for dark peppermint-chocolate contrast, then see my [How to Build a Holiday Cookie Box] guide for help choosing, arranging, and packing an assortment for gifting.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes. If the cookies will be enjoyed a few days after baking, bake them for a few extra minutes, until the edges are a shade deeper golden. The jam softens the cookies as they sit, so this gives them a little more structure for gifting.
Dust the window tops with powdered sugar before adding the jam and sandwiching the cookies. This keeps the powdered sugar on the tops instead of dissolving into the jam, which could end up making the jam filling cloudy.
When the dough warms up, the cookies spread, and the scalloped or fluted edges lose definition. Freeze the rolled dough until firm, cut the shapes, then refrigerate the cut-out until firm before baking.
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Raspberry Jam Sandwich Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 2 portions chilled Basic Cookie Dough Recipe (740g total)
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar for dusting
For the jam filling:
- ½ cup (160g) good-quality store-bought raspberry jam
Equipment
- 17-inch baking sheet (You'll need two of them)
Instructions
Make the Cookies
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and place them in the refrigerator until needed (see note).
- Place the chilled dough between two sheets of parchment paper (you may need to let the dough sit briefly to make it easier to roll). Roll the dough to a thickness of ⅙-inch (4mm). If needed, refrigerate for 30 minutes or freeze for 10-15 minutes until the dough is firm enough to cut clean shapes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Using a 2-inch square or similarly sized round cookie cutter, cut shapes from the dough. Use a smaller 1-inch cutter to cut centers from half of the shapes. Transfer the window tops to one chilled baking sheet and the solid cookies to the other. Gather and reroll the scraps, then repeat until no dough remains.
- Refrigerate the cut-outs for 30 minutes or freeze for 10–15 minutes, until firm.
- Bake the window tops and solid cookies at the same time on separate baking sheets for about 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden. Check the window tops first because they brown more quickly.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet until set, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Assemble the Cookies
- Place powdered sugar in a fine-mesh sieve and dust the window tops.
- Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of raspberry jam onto the center of each solid cookie. Gently spread it toward the edges, leaving a narrow border. Set aside.
- Gently place a powdered-sugar-dusted window top over each jam-topped cookie and press lightly to form a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
- Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes:
Nutrition
If you’re baking your way through the Basic Cookie Dough series, try these other cookie variations:
- Spiced Shortbread Cookies (Chai-Inspired)
- Peppermint White Chocolate Dipped Cookies
- Butter Cookies with Cranberry Glaze
- Orange Ginger Cookies with Crystallized Ginger
They are perfect for rounding out a festive holiday cookie box.
