Rachel Allen’s festive jam cookie sandwiches

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. Sift the flour into a large bowl or electric food mixer and add the sugar, vanilla extract, finely grated lemon zest, egg yolks and butter. Mix until it all comes together to a dough.

3. Remove from the bowl and flatten to a round with the palm of your hand or with a rolling pin to about 2cm thick and chill in fridge for about 30 minutes.

4. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface until it is about 5mm thick, then using the 6cm plain cutter, cut the dough into discs. Take half the discs and, using either the plain or flower shaped 3cm cutter, cut holes out of the centre of each, like little round windows. Bring the discarded scraps together and make more discs and cut holes in the centre of these. You want to end up with about 35 whole discs with the centres cut out (equal amounts).

5. Place the discs on several baking trays and bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes, then remove from the trays and transfer to wire racks to cool. When the discs are cool, spread ½ — 1 teaspoon of jam on the whole discs and top with the discs with a hole in them so that you can see the jam through the little windows. Dust with icing sugar and serve.