My holiday baking extravaganza comes to an end with a Winnipeg classic: Imperial cookies. They are also known as Empire cookies, and they are also known as gone because they’re so delicious. This iced shortbread and jam sandwich cookie takes a little extra patience and a few extra steps, but they are so worth it.
This recipe comes mostly from Claudia’s Cookbook (who I assume is also a Winnipegger, hey girl hey), with a few changes in the order of operations. I made them as the recipe states last year, and the icing was a little messy, so I changed it up this year and I’m very pleased with how it went.
If you use a 2″ cookie cutter, it will probably make a dozen sandwich cookies like the recipe states, but mine was a little smaller (maybe 1.25-1.5″?) so I got 25 sandwich cookies. It all depends on how much you’d like to share with others.
Imperial Cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups cake flour, sifted
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam
Maraschino cherries (you’ll use a half cherry for every cookie, so depends on how many cookies you make. Just get a jar)
1 cup icing sugar, sifted
1/4 tsp. almond extract
3-5 tbsp. milk (start with 1 tbsp and gradually add until you get the consistency you need)
Instructions
1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together sifted flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture in 3 additions.
4. Shape the dough into a disc and wrap with plastic (it will be very soft). Chill in the fridge until firm, 2 hours.
5. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to approximately 1/4″ thick and cut out cookies using a cutter (again, how many cookies you get will depend on what size you use. If you don’t have a cookie cutter, a wine glass will also work).
6. Place cookies on a prepared baking tray and bake at 350 for 10 minutes or so until edges are light golden. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
7. Decide which cookies are top cookies and which ones are bottom cookies. I personally put the “deep golden” cookies on the bottom but it’s up to you.
8. Make your icing. Combine your sifted icing sugar, almond extract, and begin adding your milk, 1 tbsp at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. It should be “medium” thick: runny enough so that it will easily cover the top of the cookie, but not so runny that it will soak into the cookie easily.
9. Dry off your maraschino cherries with a paper towel and halve them.
10. Dip the top of your “top” cookies into the icing and hold them over the bowl until the excess drips off. Put them back on the wire rack and place a half cherry, cut-side down, on top of the iced cookie. (Alternatively, you could spoon the icing on top of the “top” cookies, but I prefer this method.) Let the cookies set, 30-45 min.
11. Flip your “bottom” cookies to be bottom-up and place a dollop of jam on each one (about a tsp or so). It helps to stir your jam a bit before placing it on the cookie; the stirring will loosen it.
12. Place the top cookie on top of the bottom cookie and gently press — not so hard that the jam squirts out, just enough to cement it together.
13. Let the cookies set a little, probably about an hour, before serving. I personally like them better overnight after the jam has absorbed into the cookie a little bit. The cookies are softer and the jam isn’t as messy.
Thanks for following along on my baking adventures! Happy Holidays!
Chabai Booker 