Jam Filled Olive Oil Cookies


Soft, scrumptious and best with homemade grape jam.

The following recipe, prepared by Chef Rossella Rago, appears on CookingWithNonna.com.

Ingredients

For 1 Dozen(s)

For the Cookies:

  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
  • 1/2 cup Nonna’s grape jam or preserve of your choice
  • 2 large eggs, plus 1 more for the egg wash
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 lemon, zest only
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 eggs for the egg wash

Nonna’s Grape Jam – Yields about 3 cups:

  • 5 pounds seedless red grapes
  • 1 cup granulated sugar

Directions

  1. To make the Cookies:
    1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Grease a baking sheet.
    2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
    3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the 2 eggs and the sugar on medium speed until lemon colored and foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the olive oil and lemon zest and mix until fully incorporated. Add the flour mixture and mix until fully absorbed. The dough will be rather soft.
    4. Flour your hands well. Take a rounded tablespoon of the dough and flatten it into a disk. Add about 1 teaspoon of jam to the center and fold the dough around it to seal. Place the cookies about 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheet.
    5. Beat the remaining 1 egg in a bowl. Brush each cookie with the egg wash and sprinkle them with sugar. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown on top. Cool on a wire rack.
  2. To make the Jam:
    1. Put a 6-quart (5.7 L) heavy-bottomed stockpot over the lowest heat possible. Add the grapes and sugar and stir to coat the grapes. Cover and cook until the mixture is bubbling, about 1 hour.
    2. Uncover the pot and cook until the grapes have cooked down, about 3 hours. Do not stir the pot at all during cooking. This will make the grapes stick and you will have to stir constantly.
    3. The grapes will break down and become a jam on their own. Cool completely and transfer the jam to a jar. Keep refrigerated for up to 6 months.

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