Kringle Cutouts

Adapted from the 2010 Cookie Contest Winner

(sponsored by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Newspaper)

~from Savoring Time in the Kitchen

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, cut in chunks

1 cup sour cream

Raspberry jam

Icing (see recipe below)

In medium bowl, combine flour and salt.Using a pastry cutter, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Add sour cream, first stirring and then kneading with your hands. Dough will be slightly sticky. Shape dough into a ball, cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Remove dough from refrigerator and let sit for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide dough into 2 equal parts. Roll out on lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness, adding more flour, if needed if dough becomes too sticky. Cut out with 2-3 inch round (plain or scalloped-edge) cookie cutter. I used this great gadget from Pampered Chef to both cut them out and seal them. 

Place about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon, depending on the size of your circles, of raspberry jam on center of circle. Fold in half and gently pat edges together to form a seam.  If a little filling oozes out during baking, that's alright, you'll be able to tell what filling is inside ;)

Bake in preheated oven 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. (Mine took a little longer). Cool completely on racks.

Pipe icing over cooled cookies decoratively using a pastry bag or a zip-lock bag with a corner snipped off. 

Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons butter

¼ teaspoon almond extract (or vanilla)

1 to 2 tablespoons milk

In bowl, combine all ingredients, stirring until smooth.