Finnish Spoon Cookies

This cookie 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.

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of fine salt
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup sugar
1 T pure vanilla extract
1/4 to 1/3 cup raspberry or lingonberry or other berry jam
confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Variation: Semisweet chocolate dipped

Preparing the cookies:
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, with all of the bits of fond, to a medium bowl and cool slightly.

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 dough with a small spoon or scoop and make uniformly spoon-shaped cookies with a flat bottom.

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. Lightly dust the cookies with the confectioners' sugar.

Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.