blast those christmas tunes because i officially declare it is christmas time. i know most people don’t start their holiday baking until american thanksgiving is over, but canadian thanksgiving is LONG over. i started my holiday baking & recipe testing weeks ago (you are welcome). first things first, today i am bringing you a classic christmas cookie with a bonne maman chestnut twist. since we all don't have a fireplace & thus cannot have chestnuts roasting on an open fire.. bonne maman has created a delicious jar of chestnut spread for the holidays! bonne maman is a family owned company who’s products are made in france. they create high quality jams & preserves using traditional recipes passed down from generations & 100% natural ingredients. shortbread cookies are my favourite holiday cookie. growing up, my mom used to buy a box of them around the holidays & hide them in the basement freezer until christmas day, knowing i would eat all of them beforehand. oh you bet i would go sneak downstairs and snack of a few pre-christmas shortbread cookies, thinking i was so stealth (mom if you are reading this, i’m sorry. but i’m sure you already knew by the half empty container & trail of crumbs). so today i dedicate the first batch of christmas cookies to shortbread, featuring salted butter & chestnuts! because i am clearly obsessed with salted sweets. if you aren’t a fan of chestnuts, feel free to swap in your favourite bonne maman jams & jellies as the filling!
ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 jar bonne maman chestnut spread (or favourite jam)
directions
- in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment beat butter & sugar until just combined. add vanilla.
- sift in flour & salt, beat until dough comes together.
- roll out on floured surface & shape into a disk. if dough is a bit crumbly, add a teaspoon of water. wrap in plastic & refrigerate for one hour.
- once dough has chilled, roll out on a floured surface to ¼ inch thick. use desired cookie cutters to create cookie shape.
- bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until the edges JUST begin to brown. let cool to room temperature.
- once cool enough to handle add a teaspoon of bonne maman chestnut spread to the bottom cookie & top with another. dust with powdered sugar & enjoy!
thank you so much to bonne maman for sponsoring this post! all opinions are my own. i promise this chestnut spread is DELICIOUS. so delicious that i ate all the leftovers with a spoon.. err but what else is new.