lemon cookies with blueberry jam

i want to make a confession here. i never made kuih raya in my entire life. never ever! for all this time, my mother just bought kuih raya. well, my grandmother used to make and sell them but she has retired long ago. when i was small i guess, so i don't have any memory of that. hehe. this year, with a very strong will, i promised myself that i wanted to make at least one type of kuih raya! all ingredients i have bought already before fasting, but only last night that i managed to make them. i made this cookies on saturday night and kept them in refrigerator and continued baking them on sunday night (read: last night). i didn't do it straight away because lately my family been quite busy since my grandfather is hospitalized at PPUM. so, here goes: lemon cookies with blueberry jam. i really really really love the lemon taste in this cookies! sorry, the cookies may seem quite ugly but seriously delicious! a must try recipe for Hari Raya and different from the usual kuih raya.

lemon cookies with blueberry jam

the recipe:
350 g flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
240 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
100 g caster sugar
1 tsp freshly-grated lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 small jar of blueberry jam

method:
Sift flour and baking powder together. place the butter, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla in the bowl of electric mixer. using the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed untill mixture turns pale. add the egg yolks one by one, mixing until incorporated before adding the next. lower speed and add the lemon juice, then the flour in batches, mixing until it forms a dough.
remove the dough and shape into a log or block, wrap with cling film and refrigerate until firm enough to handle - about 1 hour. (the recipe can be made up to this point and kept in refrigerator for up to 2 days).
prehear the oven to 180 degree. press the dough into suitable non-stick moulds with a well in the centre.
bake for about 15 minutes or until edgess are lightly browned. allow the cookies to cool.
warm the jam so that it becomes more spreadable. fill into the well in the cookies. store, separating each layer with a sheet of parchment paper.

*recipe credit to Flavours magazine issue november-december 2007.