This recipe was inspired by the beautiful berries of Marimekko‘s Pikkupakkanen print, and a desire to create a recipe that incorporated fresh sweet cherries, an Australian Christmas favourite. I also wanted to draw on the delicious scent of cinnamon and spices wafting through the home at Christmas. These Roasted Cherry, Vanilla and Cinnamon Christmas Cookies combine these delightful inspirations in one – crisp cinnamon spiced cookie sandwiches, filled with fluffy vanilla buttercream and the intoxicating flavour of roasted cherries.
I’ve been delighted to have the opportunity to work with internationally renowned lifestyle brand, Marimekko, on a number of collaborations this year, and this lovely Christmas recipe is one of my favourites for the holiday season. This is a sponsored post, and you can shop all the beautiful pieces in these images in store or online. Happy baking, happy shopping and happy holidays!
Roasted Cherry, Vanilla and Cinnamon Christmas Cookies
The perfect Christmas cookies – crisp cinnamon spiced cookie sandwiches, filled with fluffy vanilla buttercream and intoxicating roasted cherries.
Ingredients
Spiced Cinnamon Cookies
- 200g unsalted butter, softened
- 100g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- 250g plain flour
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- Icing sugar, for dusting
Roasted Cherries
- 200g sweet fresh cherries
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1–2 tbsp caster sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1–2 tsp strained lemon juice
Vanilla Buttercream
- 60g unsalted butter, softened
- 120g (¾ cup) icing sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- 1–2 tbsp whole milk
Instructions
Spiced Cinnamon Cookies
- Preheat oven to 180°C (160°fan forced) and line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.
- Beat butter, sugar and vanilla until light and creamy.
- Add sifted flour, spices and salt to mixture while continuing to mix on low speed until ingredients come together in a soft dough.
- Chill in fridge for 1-2 hours.
- Roll dough out to a thickness of 4mm on lightly floured work surface, or between two sheets of baking paper sprinkled with flour.
- Cut shapes out of dough using a round scalloped 45mm cookie cutter. For half the cookies, cut out 25mm stars. Repeat until all dough has been used.
- Place cookies on a baking tray, widely spaced (3-4cm apart) to allow cookies room to spread during baking.
- Bake for 8-11 minutes in the middle of the oven, until cookies are golden, then remove from oven and transfer to cooling rack. Ideally bake one tray at a time to allow the cookies to bake more evenly.
- When cookies have completely cooled, sandwich them together in pairs by piping vanilla buttercream around the periphery and filling with roasted cherries. Dust with sifted icing sugar to serve.
Roasted Cherries
- Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan forced).
- Wash cherries, remove stems and place in oven-proof dish, tossed with zest, sugar and cinnamon.
- Roast for 34-45 minutes, removing from oven to toss cherries every 10-15 minutes to prevent the juices and cherries burning
- When cherries are well roasted and soft, remove from oven and allow to cool. Remove seeds, then place cherries in a food processor and blitz to a puree. Add lemon juice to taste as cherries are processing for a smoother puree.
Vanilla Buttercream
- Beat butter, sugar and vanilla until very light and fluffy.
- Depending on the buttercream consistency, add milk to slightly soften and lighten the buttercream.
Enjoy!
Notes
Makes approximately 24-28 filled cookies
You may also like:
– Roasted Strawberry Cheesecake Brownie
– Gingerbread Cookies with Lemon Icing
– Rose Cardamom Cookies with Raspberry and Pomegranate Jam
These look amazing! Do they keep very well? I’m hoping to make a large batch but it would be easier if they could be made / partially made a day or two in advance.
Hi Kate,
Thanks for your comments and query. I’m delighted to hear you would like to bake this recipe. Yes, they can definitely be made in advance, although I would recommend keeping the cookies un-iced in an airtight container and only filling them when you are planning to eat and share them, as the filling will soften the cookies and shorten their shelf-life.
Hope this helps and happy baking!
Salma