These gorgeous and stunning cookies are super fun to make and look more challenging than they actually are! The addition of cream cheese in the dough make it easy to roll out the dough without cracking. Pick any jam, preserve or marmalade that you have on hand but avoid using jellies as they will melt in the oven making a mess. You want a preserve that has a bit of fruit in it to help keep its shape. The dough does require you chill it for 1 to 2 hours, which makes it easier to roll out, so plan accordingly. Or make the dough ahead of time, leaving it in the fridge overnight and assemble and bake the cookies the next day.
Course coffee time, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Finnish
Keyword christmas, cookies, holidays
Prep Time 1 hourhour
Dough Chill Time 1 hourhour
Servings 30
Calories 133kcal
Author Irvin
Ingredients
Dough
1/2cuproom temperature butter1 stick or 115 g
6ouncesroom temperature full-fat cream cheese3/4 brick of cream cheese or 170 g
1cupwhite sugar200 g
1teaspoonground cardamomoptional but recommended
1/2teaspoonbaking powder
1/2teaspoonkosher salt
1/2teaspoonvanilla extract
1large egg
2 1/4cupall-purpose flour315 g
Assemble
3/4cupjam or preserve of your choice
1large egg
1tablespoonmilk
Extra white sugar
Instructions
Make the dough by placing the butter, cream cheese, sugar, cardamom (if using), baking powder, salt, and vanilla in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on slow speed, until the butter and cream cheese starts to break down a bit, and then increase the speed to medium low and continue to mix until the mixture looks creamy and clings to the side of the bowl.
Add the egg and mix to incorporate. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the flour. Mix slowly to incorporate, scraping down the sides and bottom periodically to make sure all the ingredients are properly mixed in.Gather the dough and pat into a 1-inch thick disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours (or overnight) to chill thoroughly.Once chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.
Divide the dough in half. Then roll out one half into a sheet of dough, roughly 10 x 10 inches. Cut the edges off, and then cut the dough into 3-inch squares, creating a grid of 9. Gather the scraps and set aside.Take the cookie squares and place them on the cookie sheet, evenly spacing them out from each other. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the jam, preserve or marmalade of your choice, in the center of one of the square.
To make a pinwheel shape, use a sharp knife and make a diagonal cut from where the jam is, to one of the corners of the square. Repeat 3 more times, making cuts from the center to the corner. Then fold one of the cut corners into the center of the cookie, over the jam. Repeat with the remaining three corners, making a pinwheel pattern. Repeat with the remaining 8 squares.
To make a square flower, make a cut on the corner of the square, like a picture frame about 1/2-inch from the edge, but stopping and leaving a 1/2 inch of untouched cookie dough in the center of each edge. Pull the corners into the center of the cookie, over the jam. Repeat with the remaining 8 squares.Repeat with the second half of the dough, gathering the scraps. Re-roll out the scraps and form more cookies.Beat the egg with milk. Then brush the top of each cookie with the egg wash and sprinkle with a touch of sugar. Bake cookies in the oven 12 to 14 minutes, or until the edges of the cookie are starting to get golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
This is a non-traditional Joulutorttu recipe. For a more traditional version, use puff pastry, store-bought or homemade instead of the cookie dough, and use prune jam for the filling. Shape, form and bake as directed above.