Filled cookies are a delicacy appreciated for their simplicity, flavor, and tradition. A heart of delicious filling nestled between two fragrant layers of shortcrust pastry makes special moments with family and friends even more delightful. Celebrated in many regions of Italy and around the world, shortcrust cookies tell us a fascinating culinary story to discover and savour at every festive occasion.

INGREDIENTS

For the shortcrust:

300 g flour
150 g butter
150 g granulate sugar
1 whole egg
2 egg yolks
50 g peeled almonds
1 tablespoon of cold water
Grated lemon zest (½ lemon)
6 g baking powder

For the filling:
Jam or marmalade of your choice, as needed

For the decoration:

Powdered sugar, as needed

Pre-heat the oven to 160°C (320 °F) in convection mode. Place the almonds on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 2 minutes without toasting. Once cooled, finely grind the almonds into a fine powder. Then, with great care, combine all the ingredients for the pastry, working them delicately with your fingertips. Wrap the dough in transparent plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator. After resting, roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it reaches a thickness of 2-3 millimeters. Using both a round and a star-shaped cookie cutter, create two pastry discs. One of them should be pierced with the star-shaped cutter. Bake in the pre-heated oven at 165°C (329 °F) for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them cool. Take your chosen fillings and decorate the center of the round pastry disc. Cover it with the star-shaped disc and dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy!