Shortbread Cookies with strawberry fillings

I stepped into the baking world a few months ago. The reason was to bake a cake for my daughter’s birthday. I learned the basics of cake decorating. I also developed a passion for baking. From cakes, I moved to cookies and have been trying since to get the perfect cookie. After various attempts at cookies, I could finally make a batch that was perfect, the hubby couldn’t stop sampling.

Origin: In my Kitchen

Level: Intermediate

Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

Software

1/2 cup butter softened (at room temp)

1/3 cup heaped Sugar

¼ tsp vanilla /almond extract

1 cup all purpose flour sifted

4 tbsp strawberry preserves/jam

A pinch of salt

Hardware

Mixing Bowl

Rubber/plastic spatulas

A hand held mixer

Parchment paper

Ziploc/sandwich bag

Measuring spoons

Makes 18 cookies

Directions

Cream butter using the hand held mixer for about 1 min. It is important to have the butter at room temperature before you start the process

Gradually add the sugar, while still beating. Keep beating for 2-3 min, so that the sugar is completely incorporated into the butter. At regular intervals, scrape the sides of the mixing bowl to bring all the ingredients into the center.

Stir the extract into this mixture.

Now add the sifted flour and salt into the mixing bowl. Mix it into the creamed butter using spatulas or fingers. What you will get is a dough that is almost sticky.

For the filling, fill a sandwich bag /Ziploc bag with the preserve/jam. Cut a small hole at one of the corners.

Preparing the oven: Preheat the oven at this point to 350 F for 10 min. On the cookie sheet, line parchment paper.

Roll out the dough into 1.5 inch balls. Press them down on to the cookie sheet. Use your thumb or the back of a measuring spoon , to press a well into the dough. Fill the wells with the filling prepared.

Pop the cookie sheet into the oven for 15 min. Keep watching until done.