Jelly Roll Cookie Recipe
It was “fridge Clearing Day” in my house today. Oddly, I end up with lots of almost-but-not-quite-empty jars of jam. Time to clear things out! This Jelly Roll Cookie Recipe is the perfect way to get rid of those odds and ends.
These delightful rolled up treats are a thick vanilla cookie, rolled up with jam, and perfect for snacking.
Of course, with the rolling and the chilling, they are just a little bit fiddly to set up…. but once you have done all that, you can slice and bake the cookies quite easily. In fact, you can do all the hard work on a Tuesday, keep the log in the fridge, and then look like a Hero on Friday when you MAGICALLY make these delicious Jam Swirled Cookies Appear.
You can use any kind of jelly or jam that you happen to like, or have in the pantry/refrigerator. You can even use different kinds on each side. I went for the slightly obscure… half Wildberry and half Quince (I just went with what I had….). Plus, then you can play the “guess what kind of jam I used?” game.
The cookies are large… around 3 – 4 inches across… and 1/2 inch thick. Because they are thick, they are soft, and not crisp like other sugar cookies. (One cookie REALLY goes a long way…. they are BIG).
Bake some up… invite a few people to share.
I’ve added a few photos to help you along!
Jelly Roll Cookie Recipe
Makes 24 – 30 cookies
Prep Time: 20 minutes work, 30 minutes chill
Total Time: You can be eating in 90 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup Unsalted Butter
1 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
1 Egg
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Tbl Milk
3 cups Unbleached Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 – 1 1/2 cups Jam or Jelly total (one or two flavors)
Few teaspoons of Sugar
Instructions
Haul out your stand mixer….
In the bowl, combine the room temperature butter (well… slightly softened, so if you live in the Arctic Circle you may need to put it on a warm radiator for a minute) and the sugar. Beat for 4 to 5 minutes… you want it to be light and fluffy.
Scrape the sides of the bowl.
Add the egg… beat until combined
Add the Vanilla Extract and Milk
Beat at medium speed, scrape the sides (don’t forget the bottom bit under the beater).
Combine the flour and baking powder (I usually do it in a small bowl…. )
Slowly, with the mixer on low, add the dry stuff to the wet stuff in the mixing bowl (seriously, don’t hurry… you’ll end up with flour all over yourself and the floor) ( I even managed to hit the ceiling once… what a mess).
Beat until just combined… scrape the sides… beat for a few more seconds.
STOP.
Hopefully these photos will help you understand the explanations below.
Lay a piece of plastic wrap on the counter…. dump the cookie dough onto the plastic wrap…. use the wrap to help make a rectangular disk out of the dough (yes, I know… mathematically impossible to make a rectangular disk… go with a rectangle that has rounded corners.. OK?)
Now… place another piece of plastic wrap over the dough disk… and roll the dough out to a 16 x 12 inch rectangle (no, you don’t need to grab the ruler… eyeball it). The dough should be around 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick. Trim the edges up a bit so they are straight-ish (just kind of add the cut bits back in to the rectangle and roll it flat).
Got your Jam or Jelly? you will need around 1/2 to 3/4 cup for each side… feel free to use different flavors.
Spread half of the Jam/Jelly (1/2 – 3/4 cup) over half of the dough rectangle.
Use the plastic wrap to help you roll the Jam covered dough up to the half way mark. Try to keep it smooth… Yes, I know jam comes oozing out. It’ll be ok (you can lick your fingers). Just do your best… (no points are deducted for messy)
Now comes the fun and slightly athletic part…. You have to flip the whole thing over. Use the Plastic to help you.
You will end up with the jammy seam side down… and the flat part that was up before, will now be on the counter. Pull the wrap away. .Sort of tighten the center seam a bit.
Put the rest of the jam on the flat part… spread it out.
Roll the flat part up to meet the other roll in the middle.
Now you have a double roll that might be a bit of a sticky mess. Kind of smoosh it smooth a bit with your hands.
Wrap the double roll in plastic wrap.
Smooth it out to a tube.
Put the dough tube into the refrigerator for 30 minutes. (Go drink a coffee…)
(If you want to keep it for a few days…. wrap it airtight)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Cover the cookie sheets with Parchment Paper or a Silicone Mat.
Take the dough out of the fridge….
Slice the dough into 1/2 inch thick slices, and lay them on the cookie sheets.
Sprinkle with a bit of granulated sugar.
Bake for 18 minutes.
Let cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet… transfer to a cooling rack.
Eat!!
