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The jam filled center softens these sandwich cookies making them tender, flaky and irresistible. They’re just in time for Valentines Day! You can use any kind of jam to fill these; raspberry, peach, apricot, or use a variety to make a beautiful array of colorful sandwich cookies.
I loved the lingonberry preserves from Ikea which are slightly tart and complimented the cookies perfectly! You can also make any shape you like; hearts for your Valentine, stars for July 4th, etc.
I brought these sandwich cookies to my worship team meeting and they were a hit. Since I made a bunch, I also distributed them to all of my sisters. That’s my sneaky diet plan ;). One of my readers, Oksana B., shared this recipe with me and I followed it almost exactly (using butter in leu of margarine) and they turned out fantastic!
Ingredients for Jam Filled Sandwich Cookies (Zirochki):
3 cups + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour + more to dust for rolling *measured correctly
2 sticks (16 Tbsp) Unsalted butter, softened to room temp
2 large eggs, room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp white vinegar
2 Tbsp liquid honey
9 oz jar of your favorite jam or thick preserves (I used lingonberry preserves)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
How to Make Zirochki Cookies:
(Preheat the oven to 350˚F after step 3). Line a large cookie pan with parchment paper.
1. In a large mixing bowl, add 3 cups + 2 Tbsp flour and 2 sticks softened butter and mix the dough together with your hands. It’s actually feels kind of nice to get your hands in there (let me know if you agree). Rub the dough between your fingers until it becomes a sandy texture with fine crumbles.
P.S. Oksana recommended that you use your hands for best results rather than a mixer. Oksana, I love that you shared your expert tips!
2. In a separate mixing bowl, add 2 eggs and 1 cup sugar and mix on high speed 5 minutes until pale yellow and smooth. Pour this mixture over the flour and mix gently with a spatula just until well incorporated.
3. In a small ramekin, combine 1 tsp baking soda and 2 tsp vinegar and stir until well combined. Pour soda mixture into the cookie batter along with 2 Tbsp of liquid honey and mix it into the dough well with a spatula. When it’s done, your dough should form into 1 mass. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temp for 30 min. While you’re waiting, pre-heat your oven to 350˚F
4. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll out one piece at a time keeping the rest of the dough covered at room temp. Sprinkle a clean non-stick surface and your piece of dough generously with flour and roll it out to an 1/8″ thick round. If your dough is sticky when rolling, just add more flour.
Use any shape of cookie cutter you like to cut out shapes. I used a fluted one. Transfer cookie shapes to a cookie pan lined with parchment paper about 1/2″ apart. Collect the scraps and blend them back into your remaining dough.
5. Poke a hole in half of your cookies (all I had was a straw so I poked the hole and then worked it around to make a 1/3″ opening. Keep in mind the hole shrinks quite a bit so make it bigger than you think it should be. I kinda wish my holes were bigger. I think I need to buy bigger straws ;). You will have 24 cookies with holes and 24 without.
6. Bake at 350˚F for 5-8 minutes or until lightly golden on top. Watch them closely since they turn golden quickly. Remove from the oven and let them cool to room temp. I baked in two batches.
7. Once the cookies are room temp, spread your jam onto the base of the cookie and top with the poked cookie. Press the sides together, then dip both sides in powdered sugar. These cookies can be eaten right away but are even better a few hours later or even the next day after they’ve had a chance to soften from the jam. These keep well covered at room temperature overnight or covered and refrigerated.
So Stinkin’ good!
P.S. Thanks to all of you who have shared your amazing favorite recipes with me! Keep ’em coming 😉 You are awesome!
Jam Filled Sandwich Cookies (Zirochki)
Ingredients
- 3 cups + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 sticks, 16 Tbsp Unsalted butter, softened to room temp
- 2 large eggs, room temp
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp white vinegar
- 2 Tbsp liquid honey
- 9 oz jar of your favorite jam or thick preserves, I used lingonberry preserves
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Line a large cookie pan with parchment paper (Preheat the oven to 350˚F after step 3)
- In a large mixing bowl, add 3 cups + 2 Tbsp flour and 2 sticks softened butter and mix the dough together with your hands. It's actually feels kind of nice to get your hands in there (let me know if you agree). Rub the dough between your fingers until it becomes a sandy texture with fine crumbles. P.S. Oksana recommended that you use your hands for best results rather than a mixer.
- In a separate mixing bowl, add 2 eggs and 1 cup sugar and mix on high speed 5 minutes until pale yellow and smooth. Pour this mixture over the flour and mix gently with a spatula just until well incorporated.
- In a small ramekin, combine 1 tsp baking soda and 2 tsp vinegar and stir until well combined. Pour soda mixture into the cookie batter along with 2 Tbsp of liquid honey and mix it into the dough well with a spatula. When it's done, your dough should form into 1 mass. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temp for 30 min. Now pre-heat your oven to 350˚F
- Divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll out one piece at a time keeping the rest of the dough covered at room temp. Sprinkle a clean non-stick surface and your piece of dough generously with flour and roll it out to an 1/8" thick round. If your dough is sticky when rolling, just add more flour. Use a any shape of cookie cutter you like to cut out shapes. I used a fluted one. Transfer cookie shapes to a cookie pan lined with parchment paper. Collect the scraps and blend them back into your remaining dough.
- Poke a hole in half of your cookies (all I had was a straw so I poked the hole and then worked it around to make a 1/3" opening. Keep in mind the hole shrinks quite a bit so make it bigger than you think it should be. I kinda wish my hole were bigger. So, you will have 24 cookies with holes and 24 without.
- Bake at 350˚F for 5-8 minutes or until lightly golden on top. Watch them closely since they turn golden quickly. Remove from the oven and let them cool to room temp. I baked in two batches.
- Once the cookies are room temp, spread your jam onto the base of the cookie and top with the poked cookie. Press the sides together, then dip both sides in powdered sugar.
Notes
PS. Happy Valentines Day! These would be perfect for your sweetheart 🙂
I’m looking forward to making this recipe! I have an amazing job working in a small home for the terminally ill. We have a current guest who is from the Ukraine. While she won’t be able to eat these because of her condition, I’m hoping these bring comfort and nostalgia to her family. I knew when I saw your name attached to it, it will be a good recipe. I love everything I’ve ever made of yours! Thank you for the recipe! 🩷
Hi Melodie, that’s a really nice job and very fulfilling too. I hope they will love this and all of the other recipes that you will try for them!
Best jam filled cookie ever. No need to change anything ,perfection love it.
Hi Araz! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Question-should I store the parts separately and fill them the day before they are to be stored? And should they be refrigerated after they are filled? Do they stay together well? Thanks!
These keep well covered at room temperature overnight or covered and refrigerated for longer. You can store them separately, but they are beat eaten after a few hours of assembling or even the next day after they’ve had a chance to soften from the jam.
Hi Natasha, Would this dough work in a cookie press and make sandwich cookies from that?
Hi Denise, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
These look so delicious! Wondering would the same dough recipe work for “horishky” (nut-shaped cookies) filled with caramel spread?
Hi Halyna! I haven’t tested this cookie dough for that to advise. Please let us know if you experiment.
We called them thimble cookies when I was a kid. Gramma used a sewing thimble to make the perfect hole for those toppers.
Made these cookies today. They are really easy and fun to make with kids. Can I freeze ready cookies?
Hi Milena! I haven’t tested that, so I’m not sure how they would taste after thawing. The un-assembled cookies would last in a Ziploc bag at least a week if you let them cool to room temp and keep them in a cool, dry place. They would probably freeze well too. Let us know if you experiment.
Hi Natasha! Thank you for this delicious recipe. Made it and loved it!
Can we store these for a week? Is it possible? If not, can you please share a tweak to the recipe that will help us to? Thank you, Nat!
FYI- For those who realize that they don’t have baking soda, in the last min. your substitute- 1 part baking soda = 3 parts baking powder (tried and true)!
Hi, I think these could work well being stored up to 7 days.
Yes you are a storyteller
Awesome cookies! Easy and fun to make! I love jam cookies
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Melting in the mouth! Thank you!
Thanks for the recipe, Natasha, these turned out great! I found that the powdered sugar stuck better when I sifted the powdered sugar onto the cookies before filling with jam. They turned out delicious and I’ll definitely be making them again soon!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Can these be frozen?
Hi Barbara, are you planning to fill them and then freeze them? I haven’t tried that, so I’m not sure how they would taste after thawing. The un-assembled cookies would last in a Ziploc bag at least a week if you let them cool to room temp and keep them in a cool, dry place.
I’m full blooded German and we made a cookie similar to yours every Christmas. When the cookies were on the rack we had an assemble line going. While the cookies are still warm the first person spread on the currant jelly jam, the second person put the tops on and the third person spreads on a glaze using the back of a teaspoon and put cookies on rack until cooled and glaze hardened. It is very important that the current jelly and the glaze is spread on while the cookie is still warm. For the top cookie my mother used a thimble for the hole. The glaze was a simple water and sifted powder sugar. Mix until smooth but not runny. I have so many great memories of my mother, sister and I making these cookies.
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles
Hi Natasha I made the cookies and they are absolutely great. I have never done cookies before ,the steps are easy to follow and the pictures are very helpful too.Actually the most tasty cookies I have ever had. l will always make them. For the sugar I added 3/4 cup and they were still yummy. I can even make it half cup of sugar since they are filled with jam and covered with sugar. Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
Hi Natasha!
Could you tell me please, if I can leave dough in the fridge overnight and then bring it to room temperature, then follow the recipe? I already made it and didn’t realize that it requires some extra time for resting. Also it is almost midnight lol
Hi Lana, I haven’t tried that but I imagine the dough will be firm and difficult to roll the next day – you may need to let it come to room temperature again until it’s easier to roll out.
Just made these to send out for Valentines Day. They look beautiful. They taste like NOTHING!! I am so disappointed. The dough tasted delicious raw. ( I admit I tasted it!!…several times! ) but the finished product was TASTELESS! I am going to let it sit overnight to see if flavor develops but, as of a few hours out of the oven, they are not worth baking again… I’m wondering if there was supposed to be flavoring of some kind…vanilla, or almond extract. The texture of the dough was wonderful, just no flavor!
Hi Sandy, these are a traditional cookie that is typically served with jam or even powdered sugar. Did you try them with jam per the recipe? Once they are left overnight with the jam in the center, the jam softens the cookie and imparts extra flavor to make these cookies quite memorable in flavor.
i followed directions exactly, altho the dough to me appeared to be wildly too soft. Tried to roll. eventually used almost 1/2 c. flour to roll and it did get to right thickness. But impossible to get the cut shapes off the surface on which they were rolled. Now have it in refrig, hoping that will permit using it.
I hope they work out for you Gail! We look forward to your feedback.
I’m having the same issue! I am also chilling the dough to get it to firm up a bit, I can cut shapes but when I try to lift them off the board and remove excess it doesn’t hold shape.
Same issue here as well, finally made them a bit thicker and was a little less irritating
Hi Natasha these cookies where amazing! LOVE! Can I substitute the butter with margarine though?
Hi Rebekah, honestly I haven’t tested with that so I cannot advise it will work out. If you experiment please let me know how you like that recipe.
I doubled the recipe and added two butter and two margarine. The dough ended up being a lot more stickier and a little bit more difficult to handle, but still the same great taste!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Rebekah!
This recipe is so good, instead of using the regular jam I took fresh guava made a jam from that & these cookies are out of this world!
That sounds amazing, Gina! So glad you loved the recipe.
Dough was WAY too soft, even after chilling overnight. Had to add tons of flour to get it to roll without sticking.
Hi it sounds like maybe it just needed a bit more flour which should help. Also, make sure to use large eggs and not extra large which would affect the wet to dry ingredient balance.
Hello Natasha.I very like yours reciepies.Please write me ,haw many grams is butter in USA ?In my quantry is 250g.Thank you.xxx
Hi Ela! I’m so happy you like our recipes! One stick of butter (or 8 Tbsp Unsalted butter) is equal to 113 grams. This recipe calls for 2 sticks. I hope this helps!