Christmas Baking
Stuffed Christmas Cookies: Shape Them in a Citrus Juicer Cone – Tender Walnut-Filled Butter Cookies
Tender butter and cornstarch cookies stuffed with walnuts and apricot jam, shaped in a citrus juicer cone for a ridged pattern.
Instructions
In a bowl, whisk the egg with 5 tablespoons of sugar and the vanilla sugar until foamy.
Add the softened butter and mix well until everything comes together.
Pour in the oil, add the cornstarch and a pinch of salt, and mix again.
Add the flour mixed with the baking powder gradually, in portions.
Knead by hand into a smooth, non-sticky dough that does not tear.
Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces and shape them into balls. Let them rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the filling: in a bowl, mix the 200 g of walnuts with the 3 tablespoons of apricot jam until you have a sticky mass.
The juicer trick: Take the cone-shaped top of a citrus juicer (reamer) and a drinking glass. Turn the cone upside down and set it in the glass so it stands steady.
Line the hollow of the cone with a piece of plastic wrap.
Place a dough ball in the cone and press it with your fingers up the sides so that a well forms in the center.
Fill the well with the walnut mixture, pinch the edges of the dough closed over it and gently press the bottom flat.
Lift the cookie out using the plastic wrap. It will have a pretty ridged shape.
Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake in an oven heated to 350°F (180°C) for about 20 to 25 minutes. Keep an eye on them; they should stay pale.
Dust generously with powdered sugar while still warm or after they have cooled.