These Jam cookies are a delightful treat that is perfect for a midday snack or a holiday cookie exchange. These cookies are soft, buttery, and filled with your favorite jam, making them absolutely irresistible. Plus, they’re the perfect Christmas cookie!
The beauty of making jam cookies is that they are easy to prepare and require only a few ingredients which are usually available in your pantry. The recipe is flexible, and you can easily customize it to match your preferences. And what’s best is that they’re also vegan.
Whether you prefer raspberry jam, strawberry jam, or any other type of jam, these cookies will make your taste buds dance with joy.
Once you have tried one, you'll find it hard to stop – but why would you want to anyway? So the next time you're looking for a sweet treat to share with your loved ones, consider making some jam cookies.
Read on to learn exactly how to make these delicious jam cookies today!
Jump to:
- What are Jam Cookies?
- Are These Jam Cookies Vegan?
- Why This Is The Best Jam Cookies Recipe
- What You Need to Make Jam Cookies At Home
- How to Make Jam Cookies Step by Step
- Tips For Making the Best Jam Cookies Every Single Time
- Serving Suggestions
- Recipe Variation Ideas for Jam Cookies
- Frequently Asked Questions
- How to Store Leftover Jam Cookies
- 🍪 Similar Recipes
- Recipe
What are Jam Cookies?
Jam cookies are a delightful treat that is easy to make and are perfect for a sweet snack or dessert. They are made using pantry staples and a dollop of jam in the center of each cookie.
The dough is formed into small balls and then pressed with a thumb or a small spoon to make an indentation in the center. This is where the jam is added later, and the cookies are then baked until they are golden brown.
What's good about jam cookies is that they are simple to prepare and can be customized with any flavor of jam. They are also a great way to use up leftover jam or to try out new flavors.
The soft, crumbly texture of the cookie pairs perfectly with the sweet, fruity jam, creating a delightful balance of flavors and textures.
Are These Jam Cookies Vegan?
Yes, these jam cookies are absolutely vegan and still incredibly delicious.
You know one of the hardest things to give up when going vegan? Desserts. At least standard desserts. Some of my favorite cake, pie, and cookie recipes all call for dairy and eggs, two staple ingredients that are an obvious no-go for the vegan diet.
So I knew I had to learn how to perfect a simple, easy vegan cookie recipe to satisfy my sweet tooth. And I’m proud to say that these Russian cookies with jam fit the bill!
Why This Is The Best Jam Cookies Recipe
Easy: This jam cookies recipe is incredibly easy to follow, and even beginners can easily make these delicious cookies.
Versatile: You can use any type of jam you have on hand to make these cookies. Whether you prefer strawberry, raspberry, or apricot jam, these cookies will turn out delicious every time.
Crowd-pleaser: Everyone loves cookies, and these jam cookies are no exception. They're perfect for parties, potlucks, or just as a sweet treat for your family at home.
Delicious and satisfying: These jam cookies are made with simple ingredients that come together to create a chewy and buttery cookie that is both satisfying and delicious.
Classic and timeless: The recipe is a classic that has been passed down through generations. It never goes out of style and is always a hit with both kids and adults alike. You can enjoy these cookies all year round with a hot cup of tea or milk.
What You Need to Make Jam Cookies At Home
All you need are some incredibly simple, pantry-staple ingredients to make this delicious jam cookie recipe at home.
Here's an overview of the specific ingredients for this recipe. For the exact ingredients and measurements, please scroll to the recipe card below.
Vegan butter: I usually use Miyoko's unsalted butter, but you can use any vegan butter that you have; just make sure it is unsalted. And if it does contain salt, you can omit salt in the ingredients.
Powdered sugar: We'll be using powdered sugar to sweeten the cookies, and its fine texture will help create a smooth batter. You can either buy ready-to-use powdered sugar or grind organic cane sugar at home in a coffee grinder.
Applesauce: Adding applesauce to the cookie batter will help to keep them moist and give them a slightly fruity flavor. I recommend using unsweetened applesauce; I like buying it in individual ½ cup packs.
All-purpose flour: With its versatility, all-purpose flour is perfect for making cookies as it provides structure and texture.
Baking powder: Incorporating baking powder into the batter will help the cookies to rise and become light and fluffy.
Salt: Balancing the sweetness, salt will bring out the flavors in the cookies and give them a more complex taste.
Vanilla extract: Adding vanilla extract to the cookie batter will give them a warm and comforting aroma.
Fruit spread: We’ll be using some fruit spread in our jam thumbprint cookies by making an indentation in it for the most delicious cookies ever!
How to Make Jam Cookies Step by Step
Making this tasty jam cookies recipe at home is super easy and will give you great results every single time. Here's how to make it step by step:
1. Start off by making the dough: In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
Add softened butter and powdered sugar to a large bowl or a bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, and beat with a hand mixer for 1-2 minutes until fluffy.
2. Next, add in applesauce and continue beating for another 1 minute, until well-incorporated. Then add half of the dry ingredients and beat until smooth. Gradually add the remaining flour mixture, and mix until you incorporate all flour and the dough is smooth.
3. Pipe the Cookie Dough: Fill the pastry bag with the dough and pipe the dough in 2 inch stars on the prepared baking sheet using a French Star pastry tip (I use the one from Ateco).
4. Create the Thumbprint Well for Jam: Using your index finger, make shallow indentations in the center of each cookie. Fill each indentation with about a teaspoon of jam. Bake cookies for 17 minutes at 385 F, until they’re nice and brown on the sides. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Your delicious Jam Cookies are ready to be served.
Tips For Making the Best Jam Cookies Every Single Time
Soften the butter: Make sure the butter is softened at room temperature to ensure easy creaming and prevent lumps in the dough.
Use a cookie scoop: Use a small cookie scoop to portion the dough evenly and ensure consistent cookie sizes.
Chill the dough: Chilling the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes will make it easier to handle and help the cookies keep their shape during baking.
Make an indentation: Use a thumb or the back of a teaspoon to make an indentation in the center of the dough ball for the jam.
Choose a thick jam: To prevent the jam from melting and spreading too much during baking, choose a thick jam or jelly instead of a thin or runny one.
Use unsweetened fruit spread: Just like with the applesauce, in this Russian jam cookies recipe, I recommend you get unsweetened fruit spread. Luckily, there is a big variety of them on the market. Make sure to read the ingredient list. Unsweetened fruit spreads don't usually contain sugar in the ingredients. Instead, they may be sweetened with the grape juice, which is fine. My favorite unsweetened fruit spread is by Dalfour. You can find it in some grocery stores like Fresh Thyme, Whole Foods, or Amazon also has it.
Change up the jam filling: I used strawberry preserves, but you can use whichever you prefer and even mix them up so there’s a variety of fruit flavors. Blackberry jam, fig jam, and blueberry jam will work great! You could also fill with hazelnut spread if you prefer something sweeter.
Sprinkle sugar: Sprinkle some sugar on the cookie dough before it cooks to add extra sparkle and sweetness to each bite.
Add food coloring: Add some food coloring to the cookie dough! Green would be great for St. Patty’s Day with a yellow-toned fruit filling like pineapple jam or lemon curd. And you could do red or pink for Valentine’s Day!
Serving Suggestions
- Enjoy these jam cookies with a cup of tea or coffee for a cozy afternoon snack. The sweetness of the jam pairs perfectly with the subtle vanilla flavor in the cookies.
- Serve these cookies as a dessert at your next dinner party. Top them off with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a delicious treat.
- Pack these jam cookies as a snack in your lunch box. They are a great pick-me-up during a busy workday and can be easily enjoyed on the go.
- Use these cookies as a base for mini fruit tarts. Simply spread a little cream cheese or whipped cream on top of each cookie and add sliced fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.
- Gift a batch of these jam cookies to friends or family during the holiday season. Package them beautifully in a jar or tin and tie them with a festive ribbon for a thoughtful and delicious gift.
Recipe Variation Ideas for Jam Cookies
This delicious jam cookies recipe is so flavorful and easy to make, you'll want to try out some of these delicious variations! Here are some great ideas:
Chocolate chips: Add chocolate chips to the dough and use raspberry jam for a delicious sweet and tart combination.
Almond butter: Use almond butter instead of vegan butter in the dough, with a little almond extract and use apricot jam for a nutty and fruity flavor.
Lemon: Add freshly grated lemon zest to the dough and use lemon curd as the jam for a bright and tangy twist.
Oatmeal: Mix in rolled oats to the dough and use strawberry jam for a heartier and classic oatmeal and jam combination.
Coconut: Mix in shredded coconut to the dough and use mango jam for a tropical and exotic flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Originally, Kurabye cookies came from the Middle East. However, different countries have their own variety of it. The flower-shaped cookies (that we call Russian) actually originated from Azerbajdjan, a former Soviet Union Country.
Since Soviet Union consisted of many countries, you could find these butter cookies in even the smallest cities.
Unlike original Kurabye cookies that are mostly made with butter, sugar and flour, Russian cookies always have jam in the middle of a cookie.
No, they're two different things. Kurabie biscuits always have jam in the middle and Russian Tea Cakes (also called Snowball cookies) are shaped into a ball and rolled in powdered sugar.
Although, these jam cookies are usually piped in a star or flower shape, not everyone has a flower piping tip. In this case, shape the cookie dough into 1 Tablespoon-sized balls and make sure they're smooth with no cracks.
If the dough became too soft to work with, pop it back into a refrigerator for 15 minutes or so to firm up. From here, proceed to making an indentation in each cookie.
Yes, you can use any kind of jam or preserves that you prefer.
After the cookies have cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.
Use about a teaspoon of jam for each cookie. You can always add more if you prefer a stronger jam flavor.
How to Store Leftover Jam Cookies
To store the leftover Jam Cookies, allow them to cool completely and then place them in an airtight container. The cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.
They can be frozen cooked or raw, and will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer by wrapping in plastic wrap and storing in a freezer safe container. Do not reheat when serving later. Allow them to come to room temperature.
🍪 Similar Recipes
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Recipe
Russian Cookies With Jam (Kurabie Biscuits)
Video
Ingredients
- 4 oz vegan butter softened, not melted
- ¼ c powdered sugar
- ¼ c applesauce
- 1 ⅓ c all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 12 teaspoon fruit spread
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 385 F and line your baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside. Add softened butter and powdered sugar to a large bowl, and beat with a hand mixer for 1-2 minutes until fluffy.
- Add in applesauce and continue beating for another 1 minute, until well-incorporated. Then add half of the dry ingredients and beat until smooth. Gradually add the remaining flour mixture, and mix until the dough is smooth and all flour is incorporated.
- Fill the pastry bag with the dough and pipe the dough in 2 inch stars on the prepared baking sheet using a French Star pastry tip.
- Using your index finger, make shallow indentations in the center of each cookie. Fill each indentation with about a teaspoon of jam. Bake cookies for 17 minutes until they’re nice and brown on the sides. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy!
Notes
- plant-based butter. I usually use Miyoko's unsalted butter, however you can use any vegan butter that you have; Make sure it is unsalted. However, if it does contain salt, you can omit salt in the ingredients;
- powdered sugar. You can either buy ready-to-use powdered sugar, or grind organic cane sugar at home in a coffee grinder;
- applesauce. I recommend using unsweetened applesauce; I like buying it in individual ½ cup packs;
- fruit spread. Just like with the applesauce, I recommend you to get unsweetened fruit spread. Luckily, there is a big variety of them on the market. Make sure to read the ingredient list. Unsweetened fruit spreads don't usually contain sugar in the ingredients. Instead, they may be sweetened with the grape juice, which is fine. My favorite unsweetened fruit spread is by Dalfour. You can find it in some grocery stores like Fresh Thyme, Whole Foods, or Amazon also has it.
- although, these Russian jam cookies are usually piped in a star or flower shape, not everyone has a flower piping tip. In this case, shape the cookie dough into 1 Tablespoon-sized balls and make sure they're smooth with no cracks. If the dough became too soft to work with, pop it back into a refrigerator for 15 minutes or so to firm up. From here, proceed to making an indentation in each cookie.
Nutrition
Iryna Bychkiv is the founder and writer of the culinary website Lavender & Macarons, where she shares clean, European-inspired recipes that are delicious, easy to prepare, and made with wholesome ingredients. Iryna loves creating meals that are simple yet healthy and unique, including vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Iryna is also a freelance writer for MSN and Associated Press Wire.
Easyfoodsmith says
They look so pretty and perfectly done <3
Iryna says
Thank you!
Kulia says
I made it. Perfect. Perfect with a cup of tea, or just like snack. Not heavy. It's important, because my son-in-low doesn't like heavy meal.