Eclectic Red Barn: Jamaretti Cookies

Monday, January 18, 2016

Jamaretti Cookies

The holidays are over and we have finished baking all of those Christmas cookies - right. Well, maybe. What if you wanted a holiday cookie? I am not sure what constitutes a "holiday" cookie. I often make chocolate chip cookies at Christmas but don't think of them as a Christmas cookie. Or is it that we make lots of cookies at the holidays and call them all "holiday cookies".

I found this recipe in a little pamphlet called Everyday Food from Martha Stewart. It is a little old (result of organizing) and wondered why I have never made them before. I needed something for my husband to take to work and these were it.

Jamaretti Cookies!

They turned out great and made so many cookies. I think they are a cross between a thumbprint cookie (with jam) and a biscotti (but soft).

The recipe makes four loaves. I made two with my homemade mango jam (shown here) and two with strawberry jam. I think apricot or blackberry would have been great too.

The recipe calls for Almond Paste. I was not familiar with this. Here is a picture of it and it can be found in most grocery stores in the baking section. I found it at Walmart for a dollar cheaper than the grocery store.

It is a little pricey ~ $4 a box, but it was enough for one batch of four loaves and a batch of two loaves. Considering how many cookies it makes, I was not bothered by the cost. The smell of the almond paste is heavenly as it blends with the sugar. Have you used this for other desserts? I would love to find more recipes that use this.

Recipe Print

Jamaretti Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/4 cups flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for work surface
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup almond paste
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1/2 cup jam (apricot, blackberry, or raspberry)
1 cup confectioners' sugar
4 teaspoons whole milk

DIRECTIONS:

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a food processor, pulse almond paste and sugar until smooth. Add butter and eggs and blend until smooth. Add flour mixture and pulse until dough forms. Divide into 4 equal pieces, wrap in plastic, and chill 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface roll each piece into a 10-inch log. Transfer logs to two parchment-lined baking sheets and flatten to about 2 inches across. Bake until just dry, 12 to 15 minutes.
Remove from oven; with the handle of a wooden spoon, make a trench down each log. Spread 2 tablespoons jam into each trench. Bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes more. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.
Whisk together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle glaze over logs. Let glaze harden, 20 minutes. With a serrated knife, cut logs on the diagonal into 1-inch slices. (Store in airtight containers, up to 1 week.)

You can also find the recipe and a video on how to make these cookies over at Martha Stewart.