Sugar Plum Cookies

Delightfully thin shortbread-like cookies sandwich a generous spoonful of citrus plum butter to make for a scrumptious, traditional eastern European treat. 

Sugar Plum Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 stick butter, softened
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup plum butter
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar

Using a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Scrape down the blow and beat in the egg yolks and zest. On low speed, add the flour. Blend until a dough ball forms. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and form a disk. Chill for about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325F.

Flour a working surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to about 1/4in thick - you want these cookies to be fairly thin. Using a 1in round cutter, cut out the cookies. Place the cookies onto a greased cookie sheet - no need to leave much space between the cookies as they will not spread greatly. Bake for about 12 minutes until the edges of the cookies are just pale golden brown. 

Allow the cookies to cool completely. Spread the plum butter over half of the cookies and top with another cookie. Dust the tops of the cookie sandwiches with powdered sugar.

Makes 16 sandwich cookies

Notes from the Chef

-Admittedly, my grandmother used to call these Prune Cookies, but that doesn't seem quite as appetizing as Sugar Plums

-I think the one-to-two bite cookie concept is fun, especially around the holidays when you want to try ALL the cookies, but of course, scale up the cutter to make a more sizable sandwich