Partridge in a Pear Tree Cookies

By jannycerv

Ingredients

• 2 vanilla beans
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 large eggs. lightly beaten
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup seedless jam, I use apricot
• Powdered sugar for garnish

Details

Preparation time 45mins
Cooking time 180mins

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut vanilla beans in half length wise, then cut each piece in half crosswise. With tip of small knife scrape out seeds. Transfer seeds to a cup. (Remaining vanilla pods can be placed in granulated sugar to make vanilla sugar).
Beat butter and sugar in large mixer bowl at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs until smooth. Beat in vanilla seeds. At low speed, gradually add flour and salt, just until blended. Divide dough into quarters and flatten into disks. Wrap and refrigerate 2 hours or over night.
Adjust oven rack to center and upper 1/3 of oven. Lightly coat 4 large cookie sheets with vegetable cooking spray. On lightly floured surface, roll 1 disk 1/8 inch thick. Cut out shapes with a 4 3/4 " pear shaped cookie cutter. Arrange shapes 1 inch apart on prepared sheets. With a 1 1/2 " partridge shaped cookie cutter, cut out the centers of half of the unbaked cookies. Reserve scraps. Bake 11 - 14 minutes, just until edges golden colored. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Repeat process with remaining dough, re-rolling and cutting scraps.
Spread 1 rounded teaspoon of jam on top of each cookie that does not have a cutout. Lightly dust tops of cutout cookies with confectioner's sugar, if desired. Top each pear cookie with a cut out cookie. Makes about 16 sandwich cookies