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With each bite, these soft apricot pillows practically melt on your tongue. Sweet peachy preserves meet a simple, rich cream cheese dough. Every bite feels like a hug from my great grandma, who first made them in Holland. They're cozy, nostalgic, and always a little bit special.
The first time I brought these to a party, folks kept asking how to make them. Now my family won't let a single holiday go by without a plate of these cookies.
Irresistible Ingredients
- Egg whites: Beat till frothy and use to brush edges for a nice sticky seal and shiny tops
- Apricot preserves: Go for homemade or a really fruity brand for bright flavor and texture
- Butter: Needs to be unsalted and soft for smooth mixing with cheese
- Cream cheese: Full-fat, at room temp, is the way to get them rich and ultra-soft
- Granulated sugar: Sprinkle on after brushing to add crunch and sparkle
- All purpose flour: Sift first for lightness and use the freshest bag you have handy
- Salt: Use fine sea salt to balance the flavors throughout
- Lemon zest: Adds zing, but just use the bright skin, not the white underneath
Simple Step-by-Step
- Cool and Enjoy:
- Don’t overpack with preserves. Let everything firm up on a rack. Once cool, the cookies become perfectly tender and that fruity middle sets up beautifully.
- Bake:
- Lay the little pillows on a plain cookie sheet, space them out. Brush with egg white, a touch of sugar, and bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes. They’ll look lightly golden, not brown.
- Fill and Seal:
- Drop a teaspoon of jam in the middle of every square. Brush the borders with frothy egg white and tug corners to the middle. Pinch those seams closed—this keeps the jam in and makes the pillowy shape.
- Roll and Cut:
- Chop chilled dough into three pieces, roll each out thin—about an eighth to a quarter inch. Even sheet means even bake. Cut into squares, three inches or so on each side, using a sharp tool like a pizza cutter.
- Chill the Dough:
- Gather the dough into a ball and wrap tight in plastic. Toss it in the fridge for a half hour or more so it’s not super sticky and easy to roll.
- Make the Dough:
- With a mixer, whip soft butter and cream cheese super fluffy. Mix flour, salt, and that fresh zest in another bowl before adding it to the cheese mix. Stir until you don’t see flour, then stop—the less you handle, the softer the cookie.
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I love the buttery-lemon smell that fills the house while these oven-bake. My aunt always let me brush the egg on before baking, so it always felt like I made a little magic. Out of every treat, these always disappeared first at our family table.
Keeping Them Fresh
Keep them fresh in a tin with a snug lid right on the counter for up to four days. For freezing, put cookies between pieces of parchment in a sealed container. Let them come up to room temp before you dig in.
Swaps You Can Try
No apricot? Raspberry or plum jam works just as well. For the dough, neufchatel is a nice stand-in for cream cheese, or add a bit of orange extract for a new twist. Out of lemon zest? Orange zest gives a cozy, sweet scent.
Fun Ways to Serve
Try piling them onto a plate with powdered sugar sprinkled on top for the holidays. They’re awesome with spicy coffee or black tea for a chill afternoon snack. These fit right in with any tray of cookies at parties.
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A Bit of Background
This sweet treat was carried here from Holland ages ago and is part of the old European tradition of mixing butter with jam in cookies. You'll find lookalikes in German and Scandinavian bakeries. Around holidays and gatherings, they show up to celebrate family and togetherness, always with coffee by their side.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → What does cream cheese do for the dough?
Cream cheese makes the dough crazy soft, a little tangy, and super tender. You’ll get cookies that basically fall apart in your mouth.
- → How can I stop the inside from leaking out?
Don’t go wild with filling and really pincher the dough closed at the edges. That way, the apricot won’t make a mess while they bake.
- → Is it cool to use other jams?
For sure—go with cherry, raspberry, or peach to mix up the flavor. Any thick fruit jam will do the trick.
- → How thin does the dough need to be?
Try rolling it between an eighth and a quarter inch. Not too thick or too thin—that’s just right for flaky layers and soft bites.
- → What’s the egg white for?
Egg white helps glue the corners together and gives you a dreamy shine plus a golden top once these bake up.