Cat’s Eye Sandwich Cookies

cat's-eye-in-bowl

Do you feel like sandwich cookies with jam filling today?

Then let’s prepare some CAT’S EYES.

They are very delicious, easy and fun to make.

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Ingredients

1 3/4 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup (150 grams) unsalted butter, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup (80 grams) confectioner’s sugar

2 egg yolks

2 teaspoons lemon zest

jam (any flavor you like; stronger is better)

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1. Preheat your oven to 350 F (176 C).

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. Mix the flour with sugar and salt (set aside some sugar for sprinkling).

4. Add the egg yolks, butter, vanilla extract and lemon zest to the mixture.

cat's-eyes-dough

5. Mix by hand until you form a ball.

cat's-eyes-cutting-dough

6. On a floured surface roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch (1 cm) thickness.

Using a round cookie cutter cut out the dough.

cat's-eyes-on-sheet

7. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet.

Use a smaller cookie cutter to cut out the centers of HALF of the cookies on the baking sheet. (You will be sandwiching two cookies together and there will be a small “window/eye” in the top cookie so you can see the jam underneath.

Re-roll any scraps and cut out the cookies.

cat's-eyes-out-of-oven

8. Bake for 9 minutes or until very lightly browned.

cat's-eyes-jam

9. While the cookies are cooling place the jam in a small saucepan and heat gently until it becomes smooth.

Let cool.

cat's-eyes-jam-on-cookie

10. Spoon about 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of jam on the full cookie.

cat's-eyes-powder-sugar

11. Roll the top side of the upper cookie in the confectioner’s sugar.

cat's-eyes-close-up

12. And sandwich the two parts together gently.

Enjoy dear friends!


Apple Turnovers

apple-turnovers-fork

What kind of fall would it be without delicious apple turnovers.

These are juicy, full of walnuts and have that great christmasy taste of cinnamon.

When I tasted them they left me completely and utterly speechless.

And the same happened to my boyfriend.

So it has been a pretty quiet household today.

~~~

Ingredients:

3 frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

3 larger apples, peeled, cored

6 tablespoons chopped walnuts

3/4 cup (150 grams) sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon corn starch

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large egg, lightly beaten

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1. Preheat an oven to 350 F (176 C).

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

apple-turnovers-dices

3. Cut apples into tiny little dices (about 1/4 inch – 0,6 cm).

apple-turnovers-filling

4. In a bowl, mix together the apples, walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract and corn starch.

apple-turnovers-squares-with-filling

5. Unfold the thawed pastry sheets on a floured surface.

Cut them into 5-inch-by-5-inch (13cm) squares.

Place about 3 teaspoons of filling on each square leaving about 1 inch (2,5 cm) border.

apple-turnovers-egg-edges

6. Use a pastry brush to brush the lightly beaten egg on the border of the pastry.

apple-turnovers-folding

7. Fold each pastry into a triangle.

Try to give the filling no chance to leak. (But still it will, that’s the rule.)

apple-turnover-on-baking-sheet

8. Crimp edges with a fork.

Brush the tops with the egg.

Cut 3 small steam vents in the top of each turnover. (Do it after you’ve applied the egg, otherwise you would seal the vents shut again.)

apple-turnovers-on-plate

9.  Bake for 20 minutes or until puffed and golden.

Enjoy!

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