Jam Sandwich Sugar Cookies - Dairy Free, Egg Free, Nut Free, Soy Free

This post was sponsored by Hockley Valley Light Spelt Flour

A classic sugar cookie for the Christmas season, made with Canadian spelt flour.

For this month’s Hockley Valley recipe, I wanted to make a sugar cookie that would be perfectly lovely as a host gift or Christmas gift, something you could bring in to the office, or share with friends. They have that little extra something special over a regular sugar cookie. That being said, the plain wafers are great on their own too. They’re a blank canvas that you can decorate, flavor with spices, sandwich with melted chocolate, or even leave plain. It’s a fantastic basic recipe to have in your possession.

I had a lot of fun baking these cookies and whipping up the simple berry filling. If you don’t have enough time to make your own filling, feel free to use your favorite jam. Or if you have a favorite brand of sprinkles, you can add them to the raw dough before baking for confetti cookies.

This recipe is so versatile!

Peanut and nut free, dairy free, egg free, soy free, fish and shellfish free

Filling:
1/2 pint strawberries
1/2 pint raspberries
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp water

Dough:
1/2 cup lard, or your favorite vegan butter substitute*
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
a pinch of salt
2 1/4 cups Hockley Valley Light Spelt Flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder

*always read the label to ensure it is allergy safe for you. Vegan butters often contain soy or legumes, but not always.

De-stem and chop the strawberries. Add them to a small saucepan along with the rest of the filling ingredients. Turn to medium heat, stirring often until they start to liquify. Then, turn to medium-low heat and simmer for 20 - 25 minutes, or until liquified. Pour into a shallow dish and cool in the fridge or freezer until chilled. Once chilled, puree in the blender or food processor until smooth.

Beat the lard, vanilla, applesauce, lemon juice, sugar, and salt until fluffy. Fold in the flour, baking soda, and baking powder and mix until it comes together into a dough. Dust a sheet of parchment paper with more spelt flour. Turn the dough out onto the floured parchment, and form into a disk. Ensure both sides are dusted, then fold up the parchment around it and chill in the fridge for a half hour.

Roll the dough out to 1/3 inch thickness. To prevent the dough from sticking as you roll it out, dust with more powdered sugar on all sides. Cut into your desired cookie shape and bake on a parchment lined baking sheet at 375F for 7 - 8 minutes, or until the edges are light brown. The dough will yield 25 - 30 cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutter. Let the cookies cool on a rack until they are room temperature.

Lay half of the cookies out on a baking sheet, bottoms up, and spread an even layer of the fruit puree on each one. Top with another cookie. Sprinkle them all with powdered sugar passed through a sieve.

Store in the fridge to avoid softening

Makes 13 - 15 sandwich cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutter