2 sticks of butter or margarine, softened
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 C. flour
Jar of apricot preserves
powdered sugar for dusting
Mix together the butter or margarine, flour, and cream cheese. (I usually combine the butter and cream cheese, then do the flour.) Knead it Italian-style. IE get your hands dirty. So dirty. And sticky. It's part of the process, I swear. Scrape your hands off and lay your dough on a floured surface. Knead it a little further if necessary to get it to a workable consistency, adding additional flour if needed. Roll the dough to 1/4th to 1/8th inch thick. Cut into 2-inch squares.* Place 1/4 tsp. preserves in the center of each.** Fold two opposite points inward to make a roll with points for ends. Bake at 350F for 12 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and dust liberally with powdered sugar.
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*The way Grandmom does this is to use what is popularly known as a pizza cutter but which actually is meant to cut pastry. You know, the wheel-shaped blade with a handle. It works like a dream, whatever you want to call it. I don't own one, so I use a sharp knife, which works almost as well.
**I know this sounds like an infinitesimally small amount of jelly, and to be honest I do not personally get out a 1/4 tsp. measuring spoon to do the job, but you really do NOT want to put too much jelly in a cookie. The reason is this: ovens are hot, and when jelly gets hot, it will run all over the place like a merry little flood of sugar. Sometimes it's so pleased with itself that it actually catches on fire. I know. Don't we all wish we could be alight with joy. But countertops are cold, and the jelly, now coating your pan, returns to its original lugubrious or new blackened state. (Hey, it takes a lot of energy to be on fire.) I will satisfy your curiosity right now: it is a B*%#@ to clean up burnt-on jelly. So when you're filling your cookies, use a regular teaspoon and get just enough jelly to be a little tiny dab on the very tip. Scrape that off into the center of your cookie. There. Perfect.
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 C. flour
Jar of apricot preserves
powdered sugar for dusting
Mix together the butter or margarine, flour, and cream cheese. (I usually combine the butter and cream cheese, then do the flour.) Knead it Italian-style. IE get your hands dirty. So dirty. And sticky. It's part of the process, I swear. Scrape your hands off and lay your dough on a floured surface. Knead it a little further if necessary to get it to a workable consistency, adding additional flour if needed. Roll the dough to 1/4th to 1/8th inch thick. Cut into 2-inch squares.* Place 1/4 tsp. preserves in the center of each.** Fold two opposite points inward to make a roll with points for ends. Bake at 350F for 12 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and dust liberally with powdered sugar.
________
*The way Grandmom does this is to use what is popularly known as a pizza cutter but which actually is meant to cut pastry. You know, the wheel-shaped blade with a handle. It works like a dream, whatever you want to call it. I don't own one, so I use a sharp knife, which works almost as well.
**I know this sounds like an infinitesimally small amount of jelly, and to be honest I do not personally get out a 1/4 tsp. measuring spoon to do the job, but you really do NOT want to put too much jelly in a cookie. The reason is this: ovens are hot, and when jelly gets hot, it will run all over the place like a merry little flood of sugar. Sometimes it's so pleased with itself that it actually catches on fire. I know. Don't we all wish we could be alight with joy. But countertops are cold, and the jelly, now coating your pan, returns to its original lugubrious or new blackened state. (Hey, it takes a lot of energy to be on fire.) I will satisfy your curiosity right now: it is a B*%#@ to clean up burnt-on jelly. So when you're filling your cookies, use a regular teaspoon and get just enough jelly to be a little tiny dab on the very tip. Scrape that off into the center of your cookie. There. Perfect.
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