America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated LogoAmerica's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo

Mincemeat or Jam Turnovers

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 22, 2007

Yield

Makes about 4 dozen

Mincemeat or Jam Turnovers

Ingredients

2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour ¼ cup cornstarch 2 teaspoons baking powder Pinch table salt 2 egg yolks 3 tablespoons light cream 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup granulated sugar 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened4 tablespoons vegetable shortening 24 teaspoons raspberry jam, prepared mincemeat, or apricot or prune butter

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cookie sheet with parchment or silicone paper.
  2. Mix flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix yolks, cream, and vanilla together in a measuring cup.
  3. Cream sugar with butter and shortening until lightened and pasty. Beat yolk mixture into creamed butter until just combined.
  4. Add dry ingredients and beat until mixture begins to clump together (about 18 to 20 seconds on lowest speed of electric mixer).
  5. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead gently to shape into a soft dough. (Can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 6 months.) Proceed with rolling, shaping, and baking instructions under selected cookie. Selected shapes: Classic cut-outs; spirals made with another colored dough; turnovers; mock thumbprints.
  6. Working with 1/4 of the dough at a time, roll to about 1/8 inch thick. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut dough rounds. Transfer rounds to prepared cookie sheet. Fill the center of each with a scant 1/2 teaspoon of prepared mincemeat, jam, or apricot or prune butter. Fold in half; crimp edges with a fork. Turn corners up and around so that they come within 1/2-inch of the meeting. Arrange shaped cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes. Dust with confectioners' sugar if desired.
Mincemeat or Jam Turnovers

Mincemeat or Jam Turnovers

Headshot of America's Test Kitchen
By America's Test Kitchen
Save

Yield

Makes about 4 dozen

Ingredients

2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch table salt
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons light cream
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
24 teaspoons raspberry jam, prepared mincemeat, or apricot or prune butter

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch table salt
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons light cream
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
24 teaspoons raspberry jam, prepared mincemeat, or apricot or prune butter

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch table salt
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons light cream
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
24 teaspoons raspberry jam, prepared mincemeat, or apricot or prune butter

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted a holiday cookie dough recipe that could be shaped into a variety of rich and tender cookies. When we added some cornstarch, which tenderized the dough, we had our perfect butter cookie recipe.

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cookie sheet with parchment or silicone paper.
  2. Mix flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix yolks, cream, and vanilla together in a measuring cup.
  3. Cream sugar with butter and shortening until lightened and pasty. Beat yolk mixture into creamed butter until just combined.
  4. Add dry ingredients and beat until mixture begins to clump together (about 18 to 20 seconds on lowest speed of electric mixer).
  5. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead gently to shape into a soft dough. (Can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 6 months.) Proceed with rolling, shaping, and baking instructions under selected cookie. Selected shapes: Classic cut-outs; spirals made with another colored dough; turnovers; mock thumbprints.
  6. Working with 1/4 of the dough at a time, roll to about 1/8 inch thick. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut dough rounds. Transfer rounds to prepared cookie sheet. Fill the center of each with a scant 1/2 teaspoon of prepared mincemeat, jam, or apricot or prune butter. Fold in half; crimp edges with a fork. Turn corners up and around so that they come within 1/2-inch of the meeting. Arrange shaped cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes. Dust with confectioners' sugar if desired.

Gift This Recipe

Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.

This is a members' feature.