I very rarely post a recipe that I would classify as “expert,” meaning you would have to be an adept baker to be able to make it properly without pulling all your hair out. I like to keep my recipes simple and easy, I always maintain that there is not real art to baking. It’s just science. Anybody who can read and measure can bake. But every once in a while, I try out a new recipe like this one that teaches me that baking is actually an art.
Do not even attempt this one if you are not a patient, patient person. I would call myself semi-patient in general, but almost always patient when it comes to cooking and baking. This recipe had me growling and so very frustrated with the crumbly dough. I finally finished cutting out all my stars (another challenge to get each point of each star out of the cutters without breaking them- next time I’ll use a different shape) and then came the task of painstakingly painting each star gently and neatly with jam using a teeny tiny paintbrush.
I know a lady who every year at Christmas makes these amazing spritz cookies that she individually decorates- each and every cookie- intricately with tiny sprinkles and balls. They are so gorgeous and I always think- she has so much more patience than I do. But there is definitely something to be said for the feeling of accomplishment you get when you have created something truly beautiful, and these cookies truly are. Not only beautiful, but so festive and Christmasy.
I wasn’t sure that these had been worth my time until they cooled and I bit into one of them. Oh. My. Gosh. These cookies were like taking a bite of Christmas. The delicate flavors of the cinnamon and cloves and orange. The jam. The crunchiness and delicateness of the dough suddenly made every single crumbling cookie that I lost in the process well worth it. The crumbly dough all made sense. Visions of sugar plums were truly dancing in my head.
I’m going to go with that for why these are called “Sugar Plum” cookies. The original recipe for these used a sugar plum jam, which was impossible to find. I used raspberry jam and they were amazing.
If you are patient and wanting to create a truly beautiful cookie for your Christmas tray this year, give these a try. I promise they are worth it.
Recipe adapted from Wicked Good Kitchen
Ingredients:
For the Orange-Pecan Spice Shortbread Cookies:
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1½ tablespoons freshly grated orange zest
- 1 cup room temperature, salted butter, cut into small pieces
For the Jam & Sparkling Sugar Topping:
- Homemade or prepared Jam, plum, raspberry, or strawberry
- Granulated sugar, for sprinkling
- Sparkling white sugar, such as Wiltons, for sprinkling
Directions:
On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough until ½-inch thick. Using cookie cutters, cut into desired shapes. Place on prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart.
Use a small paintbrush to spread a light layer of jam over each cookie, leaving some space around the edges. This part is time consuming. Be patient and don’t use too much jam.
Rumbly in my Tumbly 
I made these today, prepared for crumbly dough, but they went together easily! The dough was perfect! This cookie is absolutely delicious! I will make these every year! Thank you!
I made these beautiful cookies today. They rolled easy for me on stainless…absolutely fabulous!! My new favorite!!!
Making a batch. Mine look nothing like the picture. It said not to use a lot of jelly, but the ones in the picture look like they have a lot on them. Very crumbly after cooking but they do taste good.
Do you think this dough could be frozen prior to baking? They are so beautiful! Thank you!
Yes! I think that would work!
Can I use unbleached almond flour instead of reg flour. And leave out the listed nuts?
Do you know what I could add instead of the nuts? We have a peanut/tree nut allergy here.
The cookies are very yummy! I think though that I need practice with the jam lol I apparently do not know what a light coating is 🤷🏻♀️. I will definitely make these again.
How did you keep the edges so sharp? The 1st was ok but all the rest I tried to do the tips of the stars would fall apart when I tried to push them out of the cutter.
Did you dip your cutter in flour each time, before cutting into the dough?
How many stars did one recipe make?
I made 36 (three and one forth inch stars)
After spending the day wrestling with gingerbread I was ready to fight with this dough. I just left out the nuts due to allergy concerns and was surprised the dough was a joy to work with! Baking at my altitude (6100 ft) baking is always an adventure. These cookies did not spread at all while baking (350 °)! They came out sturdy, flavorful and melt in your mouth. Definitely a keeper for the holidays!
Rio from a baker:
Roll out dough onto parchment paper, then put it into freezer for 10 min prior to cutting out shapes.
Correction:
*Tip
Tapping your cookie cutter in flour each time you cut a cookie should help with sticking points.
Icing piping bag for jam would speed things up. 😉
Do you think you could freeze after making them?? We make cookies ahead and then put plates together for folks after all are made.
How can I transport these cookies when I want to give them as gifts? One year I painstakingly used parchment paper squares between each cookie and put them in a box. Some of them still messed up.
Will I be able to freeze these cookies?
Do you put jam on before you cook them? I saw another recipe that says after.
I made them and they look beautiful,but I did not noticed it called for salted butter , I used unsalted. Is there a difference in the way they taste?
This is such a winner- I wish I found it yrs ago! Glad it was still out there!
i made these cookies today. The dough wasn’t too hard to work with. I used orange marmalade insead of raspberry jam. The first batch did not seem to have enough marmalade so I added more. So delicous!
I am going to make more with raspberry.
Love these cookies. So delicious! I plan on making them again next year as my cookie for my cookie exchange party.