Creamy Apricot Cookies (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Dough
01 -
313g (2 and 1/2 cups) plain flour
02 -
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
03 -
1 teaspoon baking soda
04 -
170g (6 ounces) cream cheese, full-fat and softened
05 -
113g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter brought to room temp
06 -
200g (1 cup) white sugar
07 -
1 egg, large, at room temp
08 -
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
09 -
1 teaspoon real vanilla
10 -
1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring
→ Rolling & Filling
11 -
120-140g (6–7 tablespoons) apricot preserves or jam
12 -
95g (3/4 cup) sliced almonds, optional
13 -
23g (3 tablespoons) powdered sugar for light topping, optional
# Instructions:
01 -
Stir together flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside for later.
02 -
Using a mixer (stand or handheld works), whip the softened cream cheese on medium-high until it’s smooth. Toss in the butter and keep mixing until it blends in. Scrape the sides when needed. Add sugar and mix until creamy, roughly 2 minutes. Crack in the egg, sprinkle in vanilla, almond extract, and lemon zest, and whip it all together on high for about a minute. Scrape again if things stick.
03 -
On low speed, slowly add your bowl of dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Keep mixing until it’s fully combined. The dough will be sticky and soft. Cover it up and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours (up to 4 days is fine).
04 -
Heat up the oven to 177°C (350°F). Get big baking sheets and line them with either a silicone mat or parchment paper.
05 -
Take the chilled dough out and shape it into balls about the size of a tablespoon. If things get sticky, dust your hands lightly with powdered sugar or flour. Roll the dough in sliced almonds, if you like. Spread them out on baking sheets with 3-inch gaps. Press down in the middle of each ball with your thumb and fill the middle with 1/2 teaspoon of preserves. If needed, chill the tray for another 10 minutes to stop the cookies from spreading too much.
06 -
Put the cookies in the oven for 14-15 minutes, removing them when the edges just start to turn golden. The jam will firm up as they cool.
07 -
Let the cookies cool on the trays for about 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Once they’ve completely cooled down, sprinkle powdered sugar over the tops if you like. The sugar will stay on the edges but might soak into the jam centers.
# Notes:
01 -
Chilling the dough is a must to avoid it spreading too much in the oven.
02 -
For the best taste and texture, go with full-fat cream cheese and good-quality apricot jam.