Moroccan Jam-Filled Sandwich Cookies - Biscuits à la Confiture

This is my sister-in-law's recipe for Moroccan Biscuits à la Confiture, a jam-filled sugar cookie. The cookies are traditionally cut into petite rounds or shapes – the ones in the photo are only about 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) in diameter – but you can make them larger if you prefer. Although strawberry and apricot jam are most popular in Morocco, any flavor can be used.

Allow an hour for the dough to chill.

Cook Time: 9 minutes

Working time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours, 9 minutes

Yield: approx. 2 1/2 lbs. cookies

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups (250 g) sugar
1 1/4 cup (250 ml) vegetable oil
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla (or lemon zest)
pinch of salt
4 1/2 to 5 cups flour (approx. 600 g)
-------------------------------------
flour for rolling out the cookies
1 to 1 1/2 cups jam, any flavor
powdered sugar, for dusting the cookies (optional)
Preparation:

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix together the eggs, sugar, oil, baking powder, salt and vanilla. Mix in enough flour to make a smooth dough that's soft and pliable, but not sticky. Divide the dough into four portions, wrap in plastic, and leave to chill an hour or longer in the fridge.

Preheat an oven to 375° F (190° C).

On a lightly floured surface, roll out a portion of the dough until quite thin – about the thickness of a thin piece of cardboard – and cut out rounds or small shapes. Use a small bottle top, a thimble, or another object to cut out circles from the center of half of the cookies.

Transfer the cut-out dough to an ungreased baking pan. The rounds can be placed fairly close together, as there will be little expansion or spreading. Gather up the scraps of dough, mold together into a ball, and roll out again. If the dough becomes too soft to handle, return it to the fridge while you work with another portion of dough. Continue rolling and cutting out cookies until all of the dough is used.

Once you've filled a baking sheet, bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Allow the cookies to a cool for a minute or two on the pan, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.

To fill the cookies, spread a little jam on the flat side of a solid round, and top with a cookie with a hole. If desired, dust the finished cookies with a little powdered sugar.

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to three months.