Christmas Baking
Marzipan Cookies With Piped Wreaths: Buttery Shortbread Bases Filled With Tart Jam Centers
Buttery shortbread rounds topped with a piped marzipan wreath and filled with tart jam.
NutritionApproximate, per serving
Instructions
Make the dough: In a bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, powdered sugar and baking powder. Add the softened butter, egg yolks, vanilla and salt.
Knead by hand into a smooth, compact dough. Wrap it in plastic and freeze for 15 minutes (or refrigerate for 30 minutes).
Roll the chilled dough out to 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. Cut out rounds about 2 inches (5 cm) wide.
Place the rounds on a baking sheet and pre-bake at 350°F (180°C) (conventional top and bottom heat) for about 7 minutes. They should be set but not fully baked. Let them cool completely.
Make the marzipan mixture: Cut the raw marzipan into pieces. Add the powdered sugar, rum extract and egg whites (one whole white plus 1 tablespoon of the second).
Mix into a smooth paste and fill a sturdy piping bag fitted with a 1/3-inch (8 mm) star tip.
Pipe a wreath of marzipan around the edge of each pre-baked, cooled round.
Bake a second time at 320°F (160°C) for about 10 minutes, until the marzipan is lightly golden.
Bring the jam to a boil in a small saucepan, then remove it from the heat.
Carefully fill the centers of the baked wreaths with the still-hot jam and let it set.
- Use raw marzipan with a high almond content, not covering or modeling paste, or the wreaths will spread in the oven.
- Use a sturdy piping bag; marzipan is thick and a thin plastic bag can burst.
- For a variation, fill the cooled centers with chocolate ganache instead of jam.