Blackberry Walnut Cookies

From the kitchen of Carly

Buttery walnut shortbread sandwiched around tart blackberry jam. These cookies are delicate and crisp at the edges, with toasted nuts adding depth and a subtle earthiness that cuts through the sweetness. Dust with powdered sugar for an elegant finish.

Blackberry Walnut Cookies

Tender, buttery cookies with crisp edges and a wobbly center of jammy sweetness. The toasted walnut dough gets its structure from a light hand and careful flattening, while the blackberry filling hits just the right balance between indulgent and restrained. These feel homemade in the best way, the kind you reach for twice.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 2 stickunsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cuppacked light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cupgranulated sugar
  • 1 tsppure vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cupall-purpose flour
  • 1 cupwalnuts, toasted, cooled, and finely chopped
  • 1About 1/2 cup seedless blackberry or raspberry jam
  • 1confectioners sugar for dusting

Instructions

  1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350°F.

  2. Combine the butter, both sugars, vanilla, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl and work everything together with a fork until blended. Add the flour and walnuts and stir until a sticky dough forms.

  3. Portion the dough into level tablespoons and roll into balls, 40 total, spacing them 2 inches apart on 2 ungreased large baking sheets. Dip the bottom of a glass in flour and press each ball down to about 1/3 inch thick. Slide the sheets into the oven one at a time and bake until the edges turn golden, about 20 minutes. Let the cookies sit on the sheets for 5 minutes before moving them to wire racks to cool completely.

  4. Flip 20 cookies flat-side up and spoon 1 teaspoon of jam onto each one, then press the remaining 20 cookies on top to form sandwiches. Dust with confectioners sugar before serving.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Toast your walnuts until fragrant, then let them cool completely before chopping, otherwise their oils can make the dough greasy. Use a glass dipped in flour to flatten each cookie, not your hands, this keeps the dough from sticking and gives you even thickness every time.
  • Bake one sheet at a time. This prevents the first batch from drying out while the second one bakes, and gives you control over browning since oven hot spots vary.
  • Don't overfill the sandwich. One teaspoon of jam is the sweet spot, more and it squirts out when you press, less and you miss the payoff.

Variations

  • Swap jam flavors: Cherry, apricot, or plum jam work beautifully with the walnut base. Avoid anything too chunky or the cookies become hard to bite.
  • Skip the sandwich: Bake all 40 cookies flat, dust with confectioners sugar, and serve them plain with coffee for a less precious version.
  • Add lemon zest: Stir 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest into the butter mixture for brightness that cuts through the jam's sweetness.
  • Hazelnut swap: Replace walnuts with toasted hazelnuts and pair with raspberry jam for a more delicate flavor profile.

Make ahead and storage

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. They soften slightly over time, which is fine, but don't refrigerate or freeze. Jam fillings separate in cold storage.