Ingredients: • 2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour • 3/4 c. granulated sugar • 1/4 tsp. salt • 16 T. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened & cut into 16 pieces • 2 T. cream cheese, softened to room temperature • 2 tsp. vanilla extract • 1 1/4 c. Stonewall Kitchen Tangerine Marmalade or jam of your choice • 2 T. turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw) Directions: • Place jam in a small saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, until jam has reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes. Jam will be very thick. Set aside to cool to room temperature. • Place flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl); mix on low speed about 10 seconds until well combined.
• With the mixer running at low speed, add 1 piece of butter at a time dropping them in about 3 seconds apart. Once all the butter is added, continue mixing about 1 to 2 minutes more until the mixture resembles moist crumbs. Beat in cream cheese and vanilla for about 30 seconds until dough starts to form large clumps.
• Use your hands to knead dough until it comes together into a large ball, about 3 or 4 turns.
• Divide dough into two equal pieces, press each piece into a round slightly flattened disc, wrap each in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes until firm but still pliable. • Working with one dough piece {keep the other one in the refrigerator}, roll to 1/8-inch thick between 2 pieces of parchment paper or on a lightly floured work surface. Peel away top sheet of parchment {if using}.
• Use a 2-inch fluted round or flower/wreath cookie cutter to cut cookies from the rolled dough. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees until light golden brown, about 8 - 10 minutes. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 2 - 3 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. • Roll remaining dough piece and sprinkle the top evenly with the turbinado sugar. Use the same fluted/flower/wreath cookie cutter to cut cookies from the dough. Use a 3/4-inch round cookie cutter {or biscuit cutter ... or anything else 3/4-inch round you can find } to cut out the center of each sugar-sprinkled cookie. Bake in the same manner as the bottom-of-the-sandwich cookies.
• Once cookies have cooled, spread a teaspoon of jam filling on the top of each 'bottom' {solid} cookie and then place a cut-out cookie on top. Let stand for about 30 minutes before serving to allow the jam filling to set.