Jam-Filled Playing Card Cookies

Ingredients

• 0.5 cup apricot preserves 
• 0.8 cup powdered sugar 
• 1 large egg yolk 
• 2.3 cups flour all-purpose
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest fresh finely grated
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 0.5 cup strawberry jam 
• 1.8 sticks butter unsalted softened ()

Equipment

• bowl
• baking sheet
• oven
• knife
• hand mixer
• cookie cutter
• wax paper
• spatula

Directions

1. Sift confectioners sugar into a large bowl, then beat with butter and zest with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in yolk, then beat in flour and salt.
2. Quarter dough and roll out each quarter between sheets of parchment or wax paper into an approximately 9- by 7-inch rectangle (3/4 inch thick). Stack rectangles, still between paper, on a baking sheet and freeze at least 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F.
4. Transfer 1 paper-enclosed rectangle to a work surface (keep remaining rectangles frozen).
5. Remove top sheet of paper and replace it loosely. Flip over paper-enclosed rectangle and discard paper now on top.
6. Trim dough to a 71/2- by 6-inch rectangle with a sharp knife and a ruler.
7. Cut lengthwise into thirds, then crosswise into thirds to form 9 (2 1/2- by 2-inch) rectangles.
8. Carefully transfer cookies with a metal spatula to a buttered baking sheet and bake in middle of oven until edges are just pale golden, about 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheet on a rack 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
9. Cut and bake 9 more cookies in same manner.
10. Roll out and cut in same manner as above, but before baking, use cookie cutters to cut out shapes from 2 corners of each card.
11. Do not cut too close to edge or cookie will break.
12. Bake cookies in same manner as solid ones.
13. Arrange 9 solid cookies, bottom sides up, on a work surface and spread each with 1 1/2 teaspoons warm strawberry jam. Top each with a cutout cookie, pressing gently to help adhere. If necessary, spoon some of remaining jam into cutouts. Sandwich remaining cookies with warm apricot jam.
14. • Stack of dough rectangles can be frozen up to 2 days. Thaw 15 minutes before trimming.• Cookies (without jam) keep in an airtight container at room temperature 2 days.• Jam-filled cookies are best eaten within 1 day.