2000s Recipes + Menus

Blackberry Walnut Cookies

Makesabout 20 cookies
  • Active time:40 min
  • Start to finish:1 3/4 hr (includes cooling)
December 2008
It’s a holiday party—you must have cookies. We double your pleasure by offering not one but two buttery, nutty shortbread rounds in each cookie. They sandwich tart berry jam under a drift of confectioners sugar.
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup walnuts, toasted, cooled, and finely chopped
  • About 1/2 cup seedless blackberry or raspberry jam
  • Garnish:

    confectioners sugar for dusting
  • Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
  • Blend together butter, sugars, vanilla, and 3/4 tsp salt in a bowl with a fork. Stir in flour and nuts (dough will be sticky).
  • Form level tablespoons of dough into balls (total of 40) and arrange 2 inches apart on 2 ungreased large baking sheets. Flatten balls to 1/3 inch thick using bottom of a glass dipped in flour. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until edges are golden, about 20 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
  • Spoon 1 tsp jam onto flat sides of 20 cookies, then sandwich with remaining cookies.
Cooks’ notes:
  • Unfilled cookies can be made 1 day ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
  • Cookies can be filled with jam up to 8 hours ahead.
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