Christmas Stars
A festive sandwich style cookie. Excellent for Christmas or New years' celebrations.
A festive sandwich style cookie. Excellent for Christmas or New years' celebrations.
I did not make these cookies but wanted to offer a tip on cut-out cookies. Roll them out on parchment (or a cookie sheet), cut them and REMOVE THE EXCESS dough. That way, your cookies will retain the shape because you're not handling them. Remember to make the cuts with enough room between them to bake properly!
Read MoreI was so let down by this cookie. The title and descriptions had me excited to make it. Basically, it is just a sugar cookie, nothing special. It also makes a ton! I would consider making half. It made 84 halves, 4 sheets, and 42 cookies. I thought it was a lot of work for the taste. The dough is hard to work with, somewhat, even after refridgeration. It has to be rolled out about 3 times with extra flour to get it to not stick. I had some 100% fruit jelly in the fridge I really like. I specifically bought Smuckers strawberry jam for this, and thought it made it too sweet. It almost reminded me of pb&j. I used a linzer cookie cutter, to cut out interesting centers. The dough does not spread much when baking, which was nice. So, my shapes did come out. However, it was just too much work, and time involved, for such a plain taste. I might give them away to some neighborhood kids, but don't plan to serve them at the Christmas table.
Read MoreI did not make these cookies but wanted to offer a tip on cut-out cookies. Roll them out on parchment (or a cookie sheet), cut them and REMOVE THE EXCESS dough. That way, your cookies will retain the shape because you're not handling them. Remember to make the cuts with enough room between them to bake properly!
I've been making these cookies for a few years now, and everybody demands them from me at Christmas time. Even though I've thought about 'retiring' from this exercise because it means torturous sessions toiling in the kitchen like a sweaty elf, I can't, simply because the results and the awed looks it generates from other folks are just that good! They're so gorgeous that really, they should be known as America's Next Top Cookie. One little thing I've learned is to keep the dough as cold as possible when rolling - even if that means keeping your kitchen window/door open. Another tip: cut the small star (the one that goes in the center of half of the cookies) once you've placed them on the cookie sheet. It's a lot easier to pry the excess centre dough with a small knife that it is trying to transfer the hollowed star shape onto the sheet intact. Finally, I use red and green decorator sugar to give it a more festive look - this year I'm going to try some icing sugar too.
I made these for Christmas, and everyone enjoyed them. I made them again for Valentine's Day, using heart cookie cutters. I used seedless raspberry jam for the filling and everyone really liked them. One suggestion: I tend to make thick cookies, (I like them that way) but this recipe you need to keep them thin because, remember, you will be stacking them. My Christmas batch I made too thick, but the Valentine batch I made thinner and were great. Good recipe.
Very yummy. Didn't have star cutters so I used a glass to make round cuts and mini Christmas cutters for the center cut (mitten, tree, candy cane). They came out looking great (just like ones I've seen sold thru Williams Sonoma). AND they tasted fabulous. Used raspberry preserves.
Easy to make and delicious! I sifted some powdered sugar on top instead of the sprinkles. I also found that if you work in small batches to keep the dough really cold they are easier to work with. If you put the cut outs on a parchment paper lined pan an place the pan in the freezer for a few minutes before baking, the cookies will hold their shape better.
Yes, it is alot of work, but the results are impressive. It took me 2 batches of broken stars to take heed of a previous reviewers suggestion of using parchment paper. After that change, making the cookies was a breeze. A few of my stars were renegades and became slightly mis-shapen. To correct that, I made a pointsetta looking cookie by placing the top cookie slightly askewed from the bottom one and dusted with powdered sugar.
Very good recipe, but I didn't do the sandwich style. I made a dip in the middle before I baked them with a teaspoon and then put the jam in once they were done. I also doubled the recipe and froze some of the dough and still ended up with 88 cookies. So if you need cookies for a big crowd...you will get a lot! :) Great recipe! Will definately use it again!
This is definitely not the easiest dough in the world to work with, so here is how to save your sanity: after chilling the dough, cut the dough in half, roll each half out on a piece of parchment paper, and cut out your shapes. At this point, your dough will have softened up again, so put the dough back in the fridge for a few (10-20) minutes. The dough will then be stiff enough to work with, and you can simply peel the dough off the parchment paper and place onto your baking sheets. Take the remaining dough trimmings and repeat the process! A variation that you *MUST* try is to use Nutella in place of the jam - to die for!!
This is a fantastic recipe -- they looked so beautiful that no one would believe they were homemade! I never made any modifications to the recipe -- the dough was very easy to roll and transfer to the cookie sheets -- I only wrecked ONE cookie!! (I followed another reviewer's advice and did the center cut-outs AFTER the cookies were on the pan.) And it may just be me, but I found the dough handled best after it had warmed up a bit. Thanks for sharing this recipe; it's a keeper!
These turned out awesome! They really tasted awesome! Just perfect :) I'm a beginner at backing but these are easy and yummy... With the rest of the dough, I used the smallest star cookie cutter and tiny little stars cookie were the cutest thing ever! Here's another tip that might be useful for you: When applying the marmalade or preserves apply it on the BOTTOM(the side that was touching the tray or cookie sheet) of the NOT cutout cookie because it's more stable. And with the cutout cookie, put the BOTTOM side of it on the preserves part...which means that the 2 bottoms of the 2 cookies touch! it looks really good and professional this way! :) Cheers
Beautiful looking cookies!! I used green and yellow decorator sugars for a pretty star effect. Also, I used Tastefully Simple's Raspberry & Strawberry Jam - a wonderful combination for this cookie. Looked great and tasted great! I kept them stored in the fridge until serving and they were well recieved. I would make these in various shapes for various holidays (IE: Valentines day...heart cut-outs with the same jam and red sprinkles or possibly bridal or baby showers). To whomever posted this recipe: Thanks a million for providing me a recipe that gives the impression that I can bake cookies like I do it for a living!
I am baking these again this year because they got such rave reviews last Christmas! Although not really a "refrigerator cookie", they are like a linzer torte. This summer I put up seedless red raspberry jam that I will use and really blow people's socks off! They are somewhat tedious but worth it!
My kids really loved these. I made them to put on cookie plates at Christmas time. There just didn't seem to be enough to go around. I will have to make these again. They would work for any time of year with a different cookie cutter.
I made these with my 6 year yold daughter, with heart cookie cutters, for valentine. We sprinkled powdered sugar on the hollow hearts right after they came out of the oven.These cookies came out nice, but it took quite long time to finish all the dough, cause it kept getting very soft and sticky and I had to put it back in the fridge many time.
Delicious; but I wouldn't bake them eight minutes they need to be thin so that you can layer them. So I baked them for five and they were perfect.
Great cookies! I didn't change a thing and they came out beautiful. There was a bit of a learning curve with the cut outs. I ended up transferring the dough between the two cookie cutters on top of a spatula onto the baking sheet and then removing the cutters from there. That seemed to work best. I used raspberry and pomegranate spread with green sprinkles on the top layer. Also, the thinner I was able to get them, the better they turned out (just had to keep an eye on cooking time). Perfect for the holidays!
These are fabulous cookies, wow! I followed the recipe exactly. I mixed some powdered sugar with the flour when I rolled them out and then I sprinkled powdered sugar on top of the upper cookies. I used Smuckers Seedless Strawberry Jam for the filling. These were the cookies we baked for Santa.
Beautiful cookies. These are so festive looking, and very tasty, too.
I have made this recipe the only thing I did different was add peanut butter to the dough, to make peanut butter and jelly stars.
This was a great recipe, we used raspberry filling instead of strawberry jam. It was the kind that you use in pastries and so forth. It worked out great!!
These cookies were a trip, but in the end worth it! Not only did they look really good, but they tasted yummy as well, sweet and soft. I used parchment paper because they were very sticky and ended up baking them on it too. I also kept the smaller star, so i ended up with less than 2 dozen. but they were just so pretty!
I was so let down by this cookie. The title and descriptions had me excited to make it. Basically, it is just a sugar cookie, nothing special. It also makes a ton! I would consider making half. It made 84 halves, 4 sheets, and 42 cookies. I thought it was a lot of work for the taste. The dough is hard to work with, somewhat, even after refridgeration. It has to be rolled out about 3 times with extra flour to get it to not stick. I had some 100% fruit jelly in the fridge I really like. I specifically bought Smuckers strawberry jam for this, and thought it made it too sweet. It almost reminded me of pb&j. I used a linzer cookie cutter, to cut out interesting centers. The dough does not spread much when baking, which was nice. So, my shapes did come out. However, it was just too much work, and time involved, for such a plain taste. I might give them away to some neighborhood kids, but don't plan to serve them at the Christmas table.
These are so pretty that I had to try them. Two days before Christmas, I could not find two sizes of star cookie cutters. Just hearts. So I made heart shaped wreathes. I made and assembled the cookies as written, and then frosted the top "ring", then added green sprinkles onto the frosted area. They looked very festive. Oh, and they tasted delicious. With red sprinkles, I'll be all set for Valentine's day. The suggestion from another writer about using parchment paper for cutting, then cooking on was very helpful.
Because you're "sandwiching" the cookies, mine turned out to be a lot thinner than on the picture, so that they wouldn't be too thick at the end. I baked them for a shorted time frame, but they still became hard and chewy. It's an interesting "sandwich" recipe, but it didn't work well for me.
These are too much work... dough is too sticky and even the size cutters, which I had looked absolutely nothing like the image. Very disappointed and was looking forward to these cookies specifically.
I made these cookies on Christmas eve. I used raspberry jam instead of strawberry jam. The cookies are very good.
i like!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A lot of work, but worth it. Everyone raved about these little beauties!
These were fun in thought however, i found it difficult and frustrating to work with the dough and create the perfect cookie.
I really liked these cookies...They looked as good as they tasted. Very easy to roll out.
Reminds me of a healthier version of peek freens. Yummy. Will try raspberry filling next time.
These were so yummy and quickly became a favorite at our house! We used homemade strawberry jam left over from Summer, made it just a bit sweeter that way !
I found this recipe too sticky and hard to roll even after refridgerating for 4 hours.
These were great I had to make a new batch every other day over the holidays.
These are so yummy the next day. they soften up and are not that hard to make if you keep the dough hard enough (keep in freezer while working with small chunks) and roll small chunks onto parchment paper, cut dough and then just bake on the parchment paper. This keeps the stars in perfect shape!
these were great! They were better the second day though. A pain to make but tasted good.
The cookie is good, my husband didn't really love it. Really, this cookie is mostly pretty to look at. However, I think if I had a better jam or jelly, this would be 5 stars. I used smuckers strawberry jam. Husband says it reminded him of eating a PB&J sandwich, but not in a good way.
They puffed a little more than I thought they would... making my center stars look all squished. They taste okay, though, and this was my 6th batch of cookies today, so that may have a little to do with it. :) The dough was very sticky and difficult to work with; hence the 4 stars. :) Thanks!!
These are an OK cookie- they were prettier than they tasted! They really are striking but take a fair amount of effort to make. Next time I'll add some flavouring to the dough. I also found that when the dough wasn't so cold, it was easier to work with.
This was my first endeavor into rolled cookie making, and they turned out quite nicely. I brought them to a holiday cookie exchange, and they were the first ones to be snatched up because they looked so festive. It's a little labor intensive but well worth it!
Beautiful looking cookies!! I used green and yellow decorator sugars for a pretty star effect. Also, I used Tastefully Simple's Raspberry & Strawberry Jam - a wonderful combination for this cookie. Looked great and tasted great! I kept them stored in the fridge until serving and they were well recieved. I would make these in various shapes for various holidays (IE: Valentines day...heart cut-outs with the same jam and red sprinkles or possibly bridal or baby showers). To whomever posted this recipe: Thanks a million for providing me a recipe that gives the impression that I can bake cookies like I do it for a living!
So Yummy and really beautiful! These were a BIG hit and I will definitely put them in my permanent collection! Time consuming, yes but worth the effort! Instead of colored sugar, I sifted powdered sugar on top, everyone thought they were gourmet!
A fun recipe, looks really nice, but it was a LOT of work. I will probably only make these for special once-in-a-lifetime occasions. The cookie itself was nothing special, but the cookies sandwiched with raspberry jam were awesome.
Not sure what happened, but the dough came out so sticky that I couldn't work with it. I was so disappointed - was really looking forward to making these beautiful cookies. I ended up shaping them into patties, and sprinkling with red and green sugar. The flavor was wonderful though.
All the stores are out of cookie cutters, all I could find was snowflakes, no stars. I attempted to make them anyway, as I had already bought all the ingredients. I guess because the snowflake shapes were more delicate, but they broke apart. I salvaged what I could, and just frosted them.
this recipe was spectacular! i used powdered sugar instead of the sprinkles. they were a hit!
I love this recipe! If you don't like it then you can easily do this with any sugar cookie recipe. For my filling I use seedless raspberry jam and thicken it up in a sauce pan by adding a tiny bit of corn starch. This way when the jam cools its more like a chewy candy or as my kids say its like having fruit roll ups in the center of the cookies. Nice and chewy. Plus it doesn't ooze out the sides or make other cookies stick to it when packed in a tin for storage. Cut the cookies on top of parchment paper on your cookie sheet and pull out the excess with the tip of a knife or tooth pick. My steps: I just roll out on my marble cutting board on top of parchment paper, pick up parchment with rolled out cookie dough and place onto the cookie sheet, cut out my shapes, pick out the excess and bake.
So good and very easy to make. The cookie stays nice and soft. You can freeze them too.
These cookies are fabulous! Some of the tops ended up smaller than their bases, but other than that, a perfect recipe!
I found these cookies relatively hard to make & after all that effort I didn't think they tasted so good. I know I am not a good rolled cookie maker, but I had expected a better taste. They looked really nice on my cookie platter though!
These are a holiday favorite that we bake and gift to friends every year. :-)
My dad has diabetes so I made a special batch for him. I used light sugar, just adjusting the measures, and sugre-free berries jam. Everyone loved them! I also added more flour after taking them out of the fridge for easier rolling and cutting.
These are good u might have to keep them in the oven a little longer but they come out pretty yummy. I just sprinkled some decor sugar because it got a little confusing at the end of the recipe but if u can figure it out im sure it will taste even better!
This was a very easy recipe and a little sticky when rolling. You just have to keep them cool. Delicious and enjoyed by my dad who loves cookies with jam!
Delicious recipe, but to make it even easier to roll these out, use 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Really - try it! It makes all the difference!!
This recipe was a little difficult to make or maybe I was just very tired from coming off my 12th recipe in 2 days. First I made the dough the day before not realizing that the dough had to sit for 3 hours(my fault for not reading the whole recipe ahead of time). When I went to roll out the dough the next day it was very difficult it stuck to the board and took a very long time cut the cookies. When I was finally done some of the cookies were different sizes and did not match up. These cookies did look very nice but were a little difficult to eat as well.
Very yummy and pretty. I decided to frost them and they turned out very nicely. When putting the two cookies together, I put them back to back to make a tighter and cleaner fit. Will make these again
So today is the second time I baked these cookies and can I just say one thing about them? Their palatability is like Jesus himself descended to this earth and turned flour into these cookies. This is not a hyperbole. I followed the recipe exactly except for changing the 1 cup of sugar to 1/2 cup. It still tasted sweet but it was a little healthier. Also, I didn't make them into the cookies shown in the cover picture, I just made them plain circles, triangles and hearts. Okay, goodbye.
I made this for the department christmas get-together. I made some small changes including their shapes. People definitely loved them!!
Pretty cookies. The dough was a bit sticky and hard to roll, even after chilling overnight. Everyone thought they were pretty though.
I have been making these cookies for Christmas for many years. They always come out perfect. The only thing I change for mine is the type of jam. I use seedless raspberry jam for mine. My kids demand these cookies every year.
These are a holiday favorite that we bake and gift to friends every year. :-)
The cookies were good, but you definitely have to make sure the dough is really cold and roll it out really quickly so it doesn’t stick. I cut the small stars out once on the cookie sheet and that definitely made them look better. I used raspberry preserves and it was perfect.
Great recipe. They taste good and look beautiful. I didnt have any problems working with the dough what so ever. Kids LOVE them !!!
For Fourth of July I went to my cousins' house, and I didn't really think they would taste good. But, in at least ten minutes, everybody at least had about five cookies each! They were a big hit!
I followed several of the tips and add a couple of my own: 1. Roll out on parchment, cut and remove extra, 2. Put cut cookies in freezer for a few minutes so cookies will keep their shape better when baking, 3. Stir seedless jelly so it spreads easier on baked cookie bottoms, 4. Use a silicone mat with parchment paper on it to keep the rolling out of dough from sliding around, 5. Sift powdered sugar on the tops before placing on jellied bottoms if you want jelly to peak through in full color. If you sift sugar on afterwards it takes a while for the jelly to absorb it and makes the jelly full, 6. Don’t worry about cookie placement when baking. Only need a 1/4 inch between them and I maximized cut cookies on each rollout of the dough. No straight rows for me! Thanks for everyone’s tips. They helped a lot! Great cookies but when making four batches of dough at one time it’s almost a whole day from start to finish!!
It’s so so good! I just wish I didn’t have to wait 3 hours before I could bake/eat them
In addition to not refrigerating the dough, I used raspberry jam and icing sugar on top. Love the result.
Just did a half batch of this recipe to try it out. I haven't filled them yet, but tried the taste. Taste is good, although I expected it to be a lot softer than it was; I don't really care for crunchy cookies. I cooked 1/4 of the recipe as it said; to another 1/4 I added a couple shakes of cinnamon and nutmeg. Both were good, but the one that I did as is came out crunchier; they were a little thinner than the others, so that would be why. I think the biggest thing I was disappointed in was how few cookies it made. Considering I have used half the batch for around 6 cookies, I am not overly impressed. And if I rolled them any thinner, they would be like paper! So I'm not sure if this recipe will make it to the cookie swap or not. Had high hopes, but I need to make about 12 dozen cookies, and that is A LOT of ingredients for very few cookies. I would probably make them for home though. They do taste good, but my suggestion would be do not roll so thin, roll into a bigger thickness, maybe like a thumbprint cookie, then fill with the jam, and don't worry about covering it.
just ok for me. Too much effort to make cut-outs for me personally.
This was a favorite in my home. It was slightly challenging to cut out but was well worth it. You have to roll dough out and cut quickly since the dough gets soft quickly. In my kitchen the AC register in ceiling blows directly onto counter so it helped with keeping dough firm.I used strawberry and apricot preserves which turned out delicious. The cookie was very flavorful and (moist to my surprise). I loved this cookie and will make it any chance I can. Great Cookie!!!!!!
I made this recipe last week, and the cookies are still soft and moist. However, I did make the dough and left it overnight in the fridge, the next day I was taking out little by little and working it through. they came out great.
I'm going to try and make these cookies today for the first time ever.. So i really hope that i can do it just right... But i'm going to try and do them with raspberry jelly..
Made exactly as written. Perfect. My German grandmother would make these each Christmas and they, if not exactly the same, and pretty darn close to it! Thank you for providing this recipe and giving me a taste of childhood!
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