Lemon Shortbread Cookies with Raspberry Filling

Did I tell you guys that Bossman hired me full time? Yup, it only took a crisis, but I've suddenly gone from 20 hours a week to 45. Good thing: I can earn back the money I spent on my Silver Dragon (who is sickly and in the care of the dealership, who has kept him for far too long, and I appreciate the fact that they're paying for the repairs, but I want my car back! He's probably homesick. :-( Poor Silver Dragon.). Bad news- I'm more exhausted than I feel I really should be considering it's not really a physically taxing position.

Anywho, the point of the story is the reason I haven't been doing my making-of photos recently. I know I don't always do them, but I really haven't had the time lately. It's hard enough finding the time to bake working 45 hours a week now, and taking pictures of the steps just seems to double the time. So until I find a rhythm I can stick with, those pictures aren't happening, and I may have to nix them all together. I'm probably more disappointed than you about this, but them's the breaks, right?

These cookies, however, I made the time for. Because these were for a friend leaving for a super awesome new job with travel to exciting places and a better salary. Really, there were absolutely no drawbacks to him leaving, except that he won't be getting any more of these cookies. No, he'll have to settle for store bought cookies forever more. Unless he, you know, learns how to bake. Or meets someone else who likes to bake. But it probably won't be at work. Because what are the chances of that, right? Right? Right?

Right.

Lemon Shortbread Cookies (With Raspberry Filling) {Printable Version}


Yield: 13 sandwich cookies (26 individual cookies)

Ingredients
¾ cup cold unsalted butter, diced
½ cup sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
Pinch salt
1½ cups flour
Raspberry jelly, for filling

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the
butter, sugar, zest and salt at medium speed until just barely combined (about 1 minute). Add the flour
and beat until the dough just starts to come together. Be careful not to overmix. Line a cookie sheet
with parchment paper or a silpat mat. Roll the dough into small balls, about 1 tablespoon, and flatten on
the prepared cookie sheet to about ½ inch thickness. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cookies are firm and
the edges are a golden brown. Let cool for about 10 minutes on the pan before handling.

Heat the jelly in the microwave for 10 seconds on medium heat. Stir well. Repeat until the jelly is at a
good spreadable consistency. On the bottom of a cookie, spread a thin layer of the jelly. Top with a
second cookie. Repeat with the rest of the cookies.

*If not filling the cookies, sprinkle with lemon sugar before baking: mix ¼ cup sugar and 1 tsp. lemon zest.

Shortbread recipe adapted from The Big Book of Baking