There are always so many small gifts that you need to have to give to the wonderful people in your life that help out with your kids, teach them to swim, drop them off from school, teach them extra maths, etc.  Home made cookies are always a thoughtful gift.

I usually make the dough in advance and keep it in the fridge until I have a chance to roll out and cut the cookies. The dough keeps in the freezer too, just defrost it in the fridge overnight.

These cookies are filled with strawberry jam, but you could choose raspberry jam or even cherry jam.

Watch the YouTube video here.

Biscuits:

250g soft butter

210g icing sugar

1 egg

5ml vanilla extract

375g flour

Jam filling:

125ml strawberry/raspberry jam

15ml orange juice

small cut of the orange pith

Biscuits:

Preheat oven to 180ºC and grease three baking trays.

Beat the icing sugar and butter until well combined.

Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat again.

Add the four and mix to form a soft dough.

Rest in the fridge for an hour.

Roll out between two sheets of baking paper to a thickness of 0,5 cm.

Cut out an even number of circles. Cut a small star shape out of the centre of half of them.

Place on a prepared baking tray and bake for 8 minutes.

Transfer onto a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

Jam filling:

Place jam, orange juice and pith into a medium saucepan.

Bring to the boil and simmer for two minutes.

Allow to cool completely before using to fill cookies.

To finish:

Place a small amount of jam onto a round of biscuit and top with a star biscuit.

Repeat to fill all the biscuits.

Dust with icing sugar before serving or placing into a gift box.

Christmas Star Cookies

Biscuits:

• 250g soft butter
• 125g icing sugar
• 1 egg
• 5ml vanilla extract
• 375g flour

Jam filling:

• 125ml strawberry/raspberry jam
• 15ml orange juice
• small cut of the orange pith

Biscuits:

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC and grease three baking trays.
2. Beat the icing sugar and butter until well combined.
3. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat again.
4. Add the four and mix to form a soft dough.
5. Rest in the fridge for an hour.
6. Roll out between two sheets of baking paper to a thickness of 0,5 cm.
7. Cut out an even number of circles. Cut a small star shape out of the centre of half of them.
8. Place on a prepared baking tray and bake for 8 minutes.
9. Transfer onto a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

Jam filling:

1. Place jam, orange juice and pith into a medium saucepan.
2. Bring to the boil and simmer for two minutes.
3. Allow to cool completely before using to fill cookies.

To finish:

1. Place a small amount of jam onto a round of biscuit and top with a star biscuit.
2. Repeat to fill all the biscuits.
3. Dust with icing sugar before serving or placing into a gift box.