Apricot Medals

By norsegal8

This sophisticated cookie sandwich, made from buttery short dough, sparkles from a light brushing of sugar glaze and an orange crystal-clear apricot jam center.

Ingredients

• DOUGH
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• DECORATION
• 1/2 cup unsifted powdered sugar
• 4 teaspoons water
• 1/2 cup strained apricot jam

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

1. Dough: In a medium bowl, blend the flour and salt briefly with a wire whisk; set aside. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter on medium-low speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sugar very gradually, beating at low speed to prevent it from flying out of the bowl, and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients and mix just until thoroughly combined.

2. Divide the dough in half, and roll one portion of dough at a time between two sheets of waxed paper into a circle 10 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch thick. Leaving the dough circles between the waxed paper, stack them on a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days; or freeze, well-wrapped, up to 1 month.

3. Adjust the oven rack to the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 300°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

4. Remove one dough circle package at a time from the refrigerator. Peel off the top sheet of waxed paper, replace it loosely on top, and flip the entire package over. Peel off and discard the second sheet of waxed paper.

5. With a 1 ½ inch scalloped round cutter, cut out the circles of dough. Using the narrow end of a ½-inch plain decorating tip, cut out the center of each cookie. Put the scalloped circles ½ inch apart on baking sheets. If the dough softens, refrigerate the dough on the waxed paper until it is firmer.

6. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, or until cookies no longer appear raw or shiny and feel slightly firm (lightly touch a few). Do not allow cookies to color. Place the baking sheets on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Then lift the cookies from parchment with a spatula to a rack to cool.

7. Repeat with the other portions of dough. Do not cut holes in these scalloped circles.

8. Keep the oven rack in the lower third position, but lower the oven temperature to 140°F. Put the cookies with holes onto a clean baking sheet.

9. Sugar glaze: Mix the sugar and water together until smooth. With a pastry brush, spread a thin layer of glaze on each of the cookies with holes. Return the cookies to the oven until the glaze is set and dry, about 5 to 10 minutes.

10. In a small saucepan, boil the apricot jam gently for 2 minutes. Cool just until warm. Spoon about ½ teaspoon jam onto each of the plain cookies, bottom-side up. Center a glazed circle on top of a jellied bottom, and gently press so that the apricot jam fills the hole. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

11. Store decorated cookies in a single layer in an airtight container.