When I dropped these off, the latest treat by Noel Bakerina, my friend’s eyes widened in anticipation. “These cookies taste like Christmas,” she told me mid bite as she helped herself to seconds. “My mother makes something like these every year. Actually, we are going to be making some next week,” she explained after carefully chewing, making sure not to miss a beat, a flavor, or a memory. I was thrilled to have caught a glimpse of this familial moment through her explanation and facial expressions!

My best friend, who’s grandmother is Finnish, sent me this recipe. All she wrote is “I’m thinking of making these. The jam filled cookie seems to be my thing this year…” What caught my eye wasn’t necessarily the jam filling, but the crumbly, buttery, vanilla-y cookie dough. Browning the butter and then incorporating all the little browned bits from the bottom of the pan (especially important, the recipe stated) sounded phenomenal. And if this was made right, I was imagining the slight crumble of the cookie quickly turning from the soft grain-like texture and melting in my mouth, the flavors enveloping my tongue. And it did. The jam burst through the subtlety of the cookie, complimenting the undertones of vanilla and butter with a zing of raspberry. I’ve heard of people using plumb or cloud berry jam as well. Either way, don’t skimp on cheap jam–this cookie needs to be done right with something hanging around you might have made last summer, or a nice jam from a specialty store.

Lusikkaleivat is a traditional holiday cookie Finnish people make for both Christmas and Easter. But I am warning you, it’s browned butter goodness will haunt you. The delicate flavor and texture will leave you reaching for seconds…thirds…you get the point .

Lusikkaleivat via Kiija via here

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch fine salt
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 to 1/3 cup jam, such as a berry, plum or cloudberry
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Melt the butter in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Continue to cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter browns lightly and smells slightly nutty, about 15 minutes. Transfer the butter to a medium bowl — be sure to get all the tasty brown bits — and cool slightly.

Meanwhile, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in another medium bowl.

Whisk the egg yolk, sugar and vanilla into the cooled browned butter.

Stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture to make a uniform but crumbly dough that looks like wet sand.

Scoop out dough with a small teaspoon (the kind you set the table with, not the ones you measure with). Rock spoon gently back and forth against the side of the bowl, packing the dough into the spoon, then scrape/slide the spoon against the inside of the bowl to make spoon-shaped cookies. Trim excess dough with your fingers and slide out onto the prepared pans, preserving their shape. (Try to make sure you form an even number of cookies, since these sandwich together.)

Bake cookies until just browned, about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool almost completely on the baking sheets, and then transfer cookies to a rack to cool.

When cool, spread 1/2 teaspoon jam on the flat side of a cookie, and then sandwich together with a second cookie. Repeat until all cookies have met their match. Lightly dust the cookies with the confectioners’ sugar. Serve.

*The dough can be prepared several hours ahead and stored at room temperature. Freeze baked cookie halves wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil for up to 2 weeks. When ready to serve, defrost at room temperature and assemble as desired. Store sandwiches in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Do not store with crisp cookies, as moisture from the jam will soften the texture of other crisp cookies.