Once Again, Cookies Save the Day

I know it’s been a while since I posted. Truthfully, Mamacita was hanging out on the Sucking side of life. I was seriously contemplating blogicide; only thoughts of Jenny’s cat stopped me from pulling the plug. After all, who wants to read bad news all the time? I certainly don’t want to write it. But I’m glad I didn’t – I had a really awesome weekend and I can’t wait to tell you about it.

Thursday night [when does your weekend start?] I went with some of my besties to the pool hall, where we drank tequila and nearly peed our pants laughing. Friday I baked Jam Trio cookies all day with John, then hung out again with said friends, this time in a more wholesome fashion, at the park with our urchins. Saturday I went to a cookie exchange party. My favorite cookies were the Hamilton sugar cookies; I will try to post a recipe later. I gave some to my Granny and she said that her aunt Mary used to make some just like that, calling them “teacakes.” They were delicious in an old-fashioned way. Later on Saturday I got to spend some time with my family. Sunday was a big day for the family – more on that later. When I got home this evening, an elf had come by my house and left me even more cookies. So I’m feeling much more chatty now.

Trios

Gourmet, December 2007

These are butter cookies with jam in the center. Kind of basic – they won’t be anybody’s “favorite cookie ever” – they are also easy to make, transport well, and look pretty. Yield 42 cookies. My notes are in italics.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
About 2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
About 2 tablespoons apricot preserves [I used cherry]
About 2 tablespoons strawberry preserves

Make dough:

Whisk together flour and salt. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until very pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes, then beat in egg and vanilla. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches just until a dough forms. Divide dough in half and form each piece into a 6-inch disk, then chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 1 hour.

Assemble and bake cookies:

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll 3 separate level teaspoons of dough each into a ball, then flatten each ball slightly (to 1 inch wide and less than 1/2 inch thick).

Arrange them in a triangle on baking sheet with edges touching in center, then make a deep indentation in center of each round with wooden spoon handle. [To hell with that; use your finger to make the indentation.] Make more cookies, arranging them 1 inch apart on baking sheets.

Fill indentations in each cookie with about 1/8 teaspoon jam (each cookie should have 3 different fillings), avoiding any large pieces of fruit. [Heat the jam to make it easier to use.]

Bake until cookies are baked through and golden-brown on edges, 15 to 20 minutes. [Actually, take them out a little before this. They continue cooking a fair bit after they are out.] Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Bake more batches on cooled baking sheets lined with fresh parchment.

Cook's notes:

• Dough can be chilled up to 2 days.
• Cookies keep, layered between sheets of parchment, in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week.