Cranberry-Clementine Sandwich Cookies

Clementines are a popular citrus fruit widely available during the holiday season. Clementine zest is a key ingredient in these delicate cutout cookies studded with bits of dried cranberry. The cookies sandwich a tart, bright yellow clementine curd.

Ingredients

Clementine Curd

• 4 large egg yolks
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2/3 cup clementine juice*
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon clementine zest, freshly grated*
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Cookies

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon clementine zest, freshly grated*
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
• Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Instructions

Clementine Curd

1. In a heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth.
2. In a small heavy saucepan, combine the cornstarch with just enough clementine juice to make a thin paste. Stir until well blended.
3. Add remaining clementine and lemon juices, sugar, the 1 tablespoon zest, butter and salt to pan. Over medium-low heat, bring to a simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring until it just starts to thicken.
4. Whisking vigorously, add a small amount of the hot juice mixture to the egg yolks. Continue adding small amounts of juice in intervals, whisking until incorporated and all the juice is added.
5. Return the mixture to the saucepan, and, over low heat, whisk or stir gently until the mixture starts to thicken enough to heavily coat the back of a spoon.
6. Transfer to a bowl, cover the surface with plastic wrap, and chill while making cookies, preferably overnight.

Cookies

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
2. Combine the butter and sugar in a bowl. Using an electric mixer or wooden spoon, cream together until light and fluffy. Add egg, zest, and vanilla extract, and then add the dry ingredients in three batches, mixing in between. Stir in cranberries. Divide dough in half, and place each on plastic wrap, flattening into disks. Chill for at least one hour.
3. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (or leave ungreased).
4. Remove one disc of dough at a time from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured work surface. With a floured rolling pin, roll dough to about 1/4 inch thick and cut with a floured 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inch cookie cutter. Re-chill dough if it becomes too soft to cut or lift from surface.
5. Place the cookies on a cool cookie sheet, and bake until edges turn light golden, about 8 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. To fill cookie sandwiches: Fill a pastry bag (or a heavy plastic zip-top bag with a 1/8 inch hole cut in corner) with chilled clementine curd.
7. Pipe about 1/2 teaspoon curd onto half the cookies. Cover with the other half of the cookies and sprinkle tops with confectioners' sugar using a sifter or sieve.

Notes

* Be sure to grate the clementine zest, before juicing the fruit, and reserve 1 tablespoon of zest for the cookies.

* You will need 6 to 8 medium size clementines to get enough juice and zest for both the curd and cookies.

Attribution

Recipe and photo used with permission from: Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin