Traditional Algerian Sables (cookies) - Like Linzer Augen

Total Time: 33 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 8 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup margarine or 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large free range egg
• 2 1/2 cups plain flour (allpurpose)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar or 1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup strawberry jam (or preserve of your choice)
• 1/2-3/4 cup icing sugar (confectioners)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 170°c
• 2 cream the margarine & sugar(s) until light & fluffy.
• 3 beat in the egg & vanilla, then gradually fold in the flour & baking powder.
• 4 mix slowly until a soft dough forms. the dough is very soft & needs handling with care but it shouldn't be sticky. if your dough is still a little sticky, sift in a little extra flour.
• 5 roll out to about 4mm thick, be sure to flour the rolling pin well.
• 6 cut out 'tops & bottoms' for your sables.
• 7 place on a baking tray lined with aluminium foil (shiny side up) & bake for 8 minutes. the sables should be just set but still .
• 8 allow the sables to cool on the sheet for a minute then remove to a cold plate or tray to finish cooling.
• 9 when the sables are fully cooled, heat the jam until bubbling.
• 10 place all the sables tops onto a tray & dust generously with the icing sugar.
• 11 allow the jam to cool slightly then spoon approx 1/2 tsp of the jam onto the underside of the sables 'bottoms'.
• 12 then carefully place a 'top' over the blob of jam.
• 13 allow to set, then store in one layer in an airtight container for upto 10 days.