Jam Cookie Sandwiches

When a friend comes for tea I try to bake something new to try although as I'm getting bigger I'm also getting slightly lazier on that front. Which is a little weird as this baby wants me to eat sweet things all the time - which is a little mean of it as I'm now the size of a house. This tea time we're having Rachel Allen's Festive Jam Cookie Sandwiches from Bake and they were actually incredibly easy to make but gave me a new found respect for the incredible neatness of the ones pictured in the book. Mine don't look half so beautiful but they are incredibly yummy and I'm now always pleased to find new ways to eat jam - this is a great one!

She says to do these at Christmas as they look festive but I think they are just fine for any time of year. I left out the lemon zest because I hate lemon... I also halved the recipe because of my fear that I'm going to give myself pregnancy diabetes if I carry on like I am. Halving the recipe made about 10 cookies but I had to use a slightly bigger cutter than she does so I could make the holes... if that makes sense. You'll see what I mean.

Jam Cookie Sandwiches

Makes about 35

425g (15oz) plain flour
75g (3oz) caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
4 egg yolks
325g (11 ½oz) butter, softened
Raspberry or strawberry jam
Icing sugar for dusting

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. You will need  6cm (2 ½ inch) plain cutter and a 3cm (1 ¼ inch) cutter. I did half with sweet-tip raspberry jam and half with apricot. I used a magimix and it made the whole thing incredibly fast.

1. Sift the flour into a large bowl or electric food mixer and add the sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, egg yolks and butter. Mix until it all comes together in a dough.

2. Remove from the bowl and flatten with your palm or a rolling pin to about 2cm thick and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (longer if possible).

3. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface until it's about 5mm thick, then, using the 6cm plain cutter, cut the dough into discs.

4. Take half the discs and using the smaller 3cm cutter, cut holes out of the centre of each, like little round windows. Bring the discarded scraps together and make more discs and tops - you want to end up with an equal amount.

5. Place the discs on several prepared baking trays and bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes until pale golden and ever so slightly firm.

6. Allow to stand for a couple of minutes, then remove to a cooling rack.

7. When the discs are cool spread the whole discs with jam and top with a disc with a hole in it. Dust with icing sugar and serve.