Welcome to the 12 Days of Cookies once again! We had so much fun last year making an assortment of cookies! It was wonderful because after the 12 Days, we had a bunch of yummy Christmas cookies ready for our holiday platter…and cookies we even enjoyed in the new year! So we decided to bake up some memories and have the 12 Days of Cookies again this year… and we are kicking off Day 1 with Sugar Plum Shortbread Cookies.
These buttery, flaky cookies are filled with a lightly sweetened fruit filling and then dusted with powdered sugar making this a delectable cookie!
Let’s get started!
Let’s get started!
First, we’ll prepare the sugar plum filling. In a small saucepan, combine the chopped prunes, cranberries, apricots, honey, cinnamon, orange zest, orange juice and water.
Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is softened and the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and let it cool.
Once the filling has cooled, we’ll make the dough. In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and salt together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and mix until combined.
Gradually add the flour, mixing just until the dough comes together. Be careful not to overmix. Chill for about 30 minutes.
Roll out the dough to about 1/4” thick on a lightly floured surface. Using a 2” round cookie cutter cut out rounds of dough.
I rolled my dough into a log, sliced it and rolled the dough out into rectangles.
Then I filled it, placed the dough on top, pressed with a fork and sliced the edges square.
Place on a baking sheet.
Bake at 350F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Place in cooling rack to cool completely.
Yum! These go so well with a cup of tea.
For the Cookie Dough:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
For the Sugar Plum Filling:
1/2 cup prunes, finely chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
1/4 cup dried apricots, finely chopped
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Zest of 1 orange and juice from the orange
1/2 cup water
First, we’ll prepare the sugar plum filling. In a small saucepan, combine the chopped prunes, cranberries, apricots, honey, cinnamon, orange zest and orange juice. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is softened and the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and let it cool.
Once the filling has cooled, we’ll make the dough. In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and salt together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and mix until combined. Gradually add the flour, mixing just until the dough comes together. Be careful not to overmix. Chill for about 30 minutes.
Roll out the dough to about 1/4” thick on a lightly floured surface. Using a 2” round cookie cutter cut out rounds of dough.
Place half of the rounds on the prepared baking sheets. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of the sugar plum filling onto each round. Place another dough round on top of each filled one, pressing the edges lightly to seal. You can use a fork to gently crimp the edges for a decorative touch if you like.
Bake at 350F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar.
enjoy from Our City Homestead to yours