FILLED SUGAR COOKIES Recipe

Ever since the temperatures started dropping, I’ve been hungering to bite into a filled sugar cookie – so, today, I declared a “Queen’s Day” … and did nothing all day long but laze around my humble castle, scenting the atmosphere with homemade cookies baking 😊

It was a fine day in the realm of Valerina, today 😊

I like cookies. Bob liked cakes. I catered to both our whims … and on occasion, I baked a pie just to even the playing field 😉

Heart – ‘Even It Up’ song: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLhxF-Un39k)

Today, I deviated a bit concerning the cookie filling for this particular recipe, because I had in mind a different {want}: **Apricot-Blueberry Filling Recipe follows at end of original recipe 😉 But I am posting this filled sugar cookie recipe in its original text … and you can do whatever filling you want to do.

I also do not cut out the center of the top cookie when I make my cookies: I like mine to look like little sugar cookie “pies”; and I don’t want to waste any portion of a cookie! 😊

FILLED SUGAR COOKIE Recipe ~2 dozen cookies

1 cup Sugar * ¾ cup Shortening (part butter or margarine) * 2 Eggs * 1 teaspoon Vanilla * 2½ cups all-purpose Flour * 1 teaspoon Baking Powder * 1 teaspoon Salt

Mix sugar, shortening, eggs, and vanilla; stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Cookie dough set to chill for 1 hour – it will still be quite soft, even chilled.

Heat oven to 400-degrees.

Cut dough into 48 rounds with a doughnut cutter (remove center hole cutting piece). Divide the rounds in 24 pieces x 2 – and placing the hole cutter back in place, cut center holes out of 24 of the rounds.

Filled Sugar Cookies; original recipe picture.

Place uncut rounds on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Top with Raisin Filling or Cherry-Apricot Filling (recipes follow); spreading almost to edges: top with remaining rounds. Press edges together with fingers or floured fork tines.

Sprinkle tops with sugar, and bake until very lightly browned – about 6 to 8 minutes.

Raisin Filling: 1¾ cups Raisins * ¾ cup Water * ½ cup Sugar * 2 Tablespoons all-purpose Flour * 1 Tablespoon Lemon juice

Heat raisins and water to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Mix sugar and flour – stir into raisin mixture. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in lemon juice; cool. Spoon 1 Tablespoon of mixture onto a solid cookie round as described in cookie recipe above.

Cherry-Apricot Filling: ½ cup Sugar * 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Cornstarch * ½ cup Water * ¼ cup Maraschino Cherry juice * 1/3 cup chopped Maraschino Cherries * 1/3 cup cut-up dried Apricots

Mix sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Stir in remaining ingredients; heat to a rolling boil. Boil and stir 1 minute; cool. Spoon 1 Tablespoon of mixture onto a solid cookie round as described in cookie recipe above.

**MY COOKIE FILLING: I have apricot preserves that needs eating … and I have an abundance of frozen fresh blueberries from my garden bushes; the combo sounds tasty, so that’s what I’m going to do 😉

Apricot-Blueberry Filling: 2/3 cup Apricot Preserves * 2/3 cup frozen Blueberries

Apricot Preserves.

Fat, juicy, frozen Blueberries; off my own berry bushes.

Blend the jam and berries; spoon 1 teaspoon of mixture onto 24 solid cookie rounds & top each filled round with another solid cookie round – closing each round with floured fork tines. Bake as described in cookie recipe above.

1 tsp. filling per cookie; bottom of filled cookie.

My filled cookie 'topper'; top cookie.

They smell SO GOOD!

They taste good, too 😉

Cookies are my #1 Temptation; I don't feel a bit guilty for staying home, and giving in 😊

Now, I’m going to finish the day with another pleasurable enjoyment – there’s only 43 pages left … easy peasy.

Clive is another pleasurable enjoyment. LOL

I love these laid-back ‘Queen days’; I’m going to have to declare them more frequently in 2023 😊

And I may just get rid of my “skinny jeans” pile, altogether 😉; at 66 years of age (December 29^th), I’ll probably never see my {normal weight} ever again, this side of Heaven (https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2022/11/jeggings-updated-with-ease-patches.html).

And, honestly? That’s okay with me. Starvation doesn’t appeal to me.

I believe another cookie is calling out to me ...