Joulutorttu – Finnish Star Cookies

Makes about 2 ½ dozen
  • 2 cups flour
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 ½ sticks butter
  • 6 oz cream cheese
  • 2 Tb heavy cream
  • ½ cup sugar
  • zest of 1 lemone
  • 2 eggs
  • Jam or preserves of your choice. I used a variety of peach, huckleberry, and fig

Lightly whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

Beat together the butter, cream cheese and the heavy cream for a minute or two until well combined. Add the lemon zest and sugar and beat for another couple of minutes until fluffy. Add one egg and beat for another minute. Beat in the flour mixture until combined. Divide the dough in half and form into two squares. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 325F. Line your baking sheets with parchment.

Working with one-half of the dough at a time, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it becomes a rectangle, about 1/8 of inch thick. Cut the dough into 3-inch squares. Space your squares out on your baking sheets. Leaving the center intact, cut an inch long slit diagonally from each corner, going towards the center. Place a little less than a tsp of jam in the center of each square. Fold every other tip over, forming a pinwheel, and gently press the folded tips together in the center.

With the remaining egg, beat it with a little splash of water to make an egg wash. Brush each cookie lightly with a bit of the egg wash.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, turning your baking sheet halfway through, until the cookies are just golden. Remove to cooling rack and once they are cool, dust with powdered sugar.