Active Time

　　40 min

　　Total Time

　　1 3/4 hr (includes cooling)

　　It's a holiday party—you must have cookies. We double your pleasure by offering not one but two buttery, nutty shortbread rounds in each cookie. They sandwich tart berry jam under a drift of confectioners sugar.

　　

Ingredients

Makes about 20 cookies

　　2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

　　1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

　　1/4 cup granulated sugar

　　1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

　　1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

　　1 cup walnuts, toasted, cooled, and finely chopped

　　About 1/2 cup seedless blackberry or raspberry jam

　　Garnish: confectioners sugar for dusting

　　

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

　　

Step 2

Blend together butter, sugars, vanilla, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl with a fork. Stir in flour and nuts (dough will be sticky).

　　

Step 3

Form level tablespoons of dough into balls (total of 40) and arrange 2 inches apart on 2 ungreased large baking sheets. Flatten balls to 1/3 inch thick using bottom of a glass dipped in flour. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until edges are golden, about 20 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

　　

Step 4

Spoon 1 teaspoon jam onto flat sides of 20 cookies, then sandwich with remaining cookies.

　　Cooks' notes:

　　•Unfilled cookies can be made 1 day ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

　　•Cookies can be filled with jam up to 8 hours ahead.◊