To prepare the cookies:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter as a guide, trace 15-16 circles on each piece of parchment, spaced at least 1-inch apart. Turn the parchment over so the pencil marks are on the bottom. Set aside.
Prepare a piping bag fitted with a medium star tip. Set aside.
Combine the butter and powdered sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until pale and fluffy. Sift the flour and cornstarch together over the butter mixture. Beat on low until just combined, then beat on medium until well blended. Scoop the mixture into the prepared piping bag.
Pipe the cookie dough into swirled rounds (not rosettes) ending in the center with a little peak. Pipe each round a little smaller than the circle. The cookies will spread a little when baking and are best when not too big. Go slow and pipe a thick stream of dough for best results.
Refrigerate the unbaked cookies for 30 minutes before baking. This will help the cookies keep their pretty shape. Repeat with remaining dough.
After 30 minutes in the refrigerator, bake the sheets, one at a time, at 375°F for 10-15 minutes. The cookies should be light golden brown around the edges. If too pale, the cookies will not hold together well when eaten. They are best when just slightly brown on the bottom. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To prepare the filling:
Prepare a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Combine the softened butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract in a medium mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and light. Spoon the buttercream into the prepared piping bag.
Spoon about 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons jam onto the flat side of half the cookies. Pipe buttercream onto the flat side of the remaining cookies. Gently sandwich the two sides together using one with buttercream and one with jam. Repeat until all cookies are filled. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
Notes
Tools needed for this recipe: Digital kitchen scale, 2 piping bags, a medium star piping tip and a large star piping tip
IMPORTANT TIPS for success:
The butter must be very soft when mixing or the dough will be impossible to pipe into rounds.
Take your time when piping the rounds. The piped dough should be somewhat thick to achieve pretty swirls.
Depending on how thick you make the rounds, you may or may not need to pipe a few additional rounds on a third piece of parchment.
Use the 2-inch circles as a guide and try to keep the dough inside the rounds to make them a bit smaller. The cookies are thick so they don’t need to be big too.
Refrigerate the unbaked cookies for 30 minutes before baking to set the butter and help the cookies keep their shape.
Bake until the bottom edges of the cookies are just lightly browned. If too light the cookies will not hold together well. If too brown they are not as pretty. Watch your baking time closely.
Don’t use too much jam as the top of the cookie may slide off.
Refrigerate finished cookies until ready to serve. Allow them to come to room temperature for 15-30 minutes before serving if desired.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
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