The Best Shortbread Sandwich Cookies, filled with Raspberry Jam

Take your delicious shortbread to the next level with these shortbread sandwich cookies filled with delicious raspberry jam. Reminiscent of Jammie Dodgers® but so much better. The sweetness of the shortbread paired with the tart of raspberry jam what could be better.

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What you need to make Shortbread Sandwich Cookies

Here is a list of all the basic tools and ingredients you will need to make these shortbread sandwiches. Since it is such a simple recipe, it requires only a short list, and therefore makes them wonderful biscuits for any level of baker. In fact, shortbread was one of the very first biscuits I ever made, and even to this day, I will tell any beginner baker to start with it. Finally, if you’d like to try it on its own, check out my classic shortbread recipe right here.

Tools:

• Mixing bowl
• Measuring spoons and cups or a kitchen scale. I know that cup measurements are convenient but weighing the ingredients helps you to be accurate and this in turn guarantees your end result.
• Wooden spoon or spatula
• Rolling pin
• Cookie cutters, choose a size that you prefer, I used a 3 inch cutter. I like the sets that give you a few options to choose from.
• Cookie sheets lined with parchment or silicone baking mats
• Teaspoon
• Optional fondant cutters. I bought my set from Aldi in the UK and I love them, yes they are technically for icing but I have used them with pastry and also cookies. They are a fun thing to own great when you want to create your own designs.

Ingredients:

• All purpose plain white flour
• Granulated sugar
• Salted butter
• Fine Cornmeal, I would highly recommend this precooked cornmeal it give the cookies a slight crunch without it being overpowering. Alternatively you can use corn flour or standard cornmeal be aware that this tends to be quite crunchy if it‘s a medium grind.
• Raspberry jam. obviously you can fill these cookies with any jam of your choice but raspberry and shortbread do compliment each other perfectly.

How to make Shortbread Sandwich Cookies

Begin by turning on your oven and setting it to 350 Fahrenheit or 175 Celsius.

In a medium or large mixing bowl add in the flour, sugar, cornmeal and butter. Then using your fingers rub the butter into the dry ingredients. You want it to resemble a breadcrumb like appearance. You can also use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to do this for you.

Now bring the dough together. Once again with your hands, start by grabbing the mixture and squeeze it to form clumps a bit like massaging it and keep doing this until it comes together in a nice smooth golden dough ball.

It is a little like making short crust pasty, the difference being pastry needs to stay cool where as shortbread does not. Although saying this you don’t want it so warm the butter melts. We want softened butter for shortbread.

Place the dough ball onto a floured surface and roll out to around half centimeter in thickness.

Next, cut the shortbread out using a round cutter. Personally, I like to use a three-inch cutter with a fluted edge, as it gives a lovely finish. However, you can choose whichever size you prefer; just be sure they are all the same size.

Don’t forget you will also need an even number of biscuits. This recipe should give you a total of around fifteen sandwich cookies.

Place the cut out biscuits onto baking sheets. Place it into the preheated oven and bake for around 20 minutes. They should have a light golden look when they are ready.

Raspberry Jam Filling

This is an optional step but one that I would recommend while they are still warm take half of the cookies and cut out the centres using the fondant cutters. Be careful because they will still be hot. You also need to be gentle doing this as they are quite fragile.

Now leave them to cool, they will firm up and become crunchier as they cool.

Once they have cooled completely take the remaining shortbread that didn’t have the centres cut out and place them upside down onto a cutting board or work surface.

Using a tea spoon place raspberry jam onto the upturned shortbread. Place the other shortbread half on top and press down to form a sandwich.

To store, place the shortbread sandwiches in an airtight container, where they should keep well for up to a week. Personally, I like to keep mine in the fridge, as I find they’re especially delicious when enjoyed cold.

Tips When Making Shortbread Sandwich Cookies

• Your Butter should be at room temperature, this means it is soft but will still firmly hold it’s shape
• Flour your surface well before rolling out your dough. It will tend to stick if you don’t.
• Split the dough into two pieces, it is a lot of dough. It may be easier to do it in two parts.
• If you can really dry to find the precooked white cornmeal it has been a game changer for me when making shortbread.
• Do not over bake your shortbread. Try to avoid the convection setting using a normal bake instead.
• You can use any jam raspberry just pair very well with this shortbread.
• You can cut out the centres before baking, although they may sink in slightly when bakes losing the sharp edges.
• The centres don’t need to be cut out you can leave them solid.