Vanilice
Vanilla jam shortbread cookies
Vanilice (ванилице): Serbian vanilla and walnut shortbread sandwiched with jam
No slava, the family saint's day feast in Serbia, goes by without a plate of vanilice, and every grandmother's tin holds a few hundred at Christmas. Two tiny fluted rounds of tender walnut shortbread are glued together with tart jam, usually apricot or rosehip, then rolled in vanilla sugar until snowy. They crumble at the first bite and turn soft and melting after a day or two in the tin. Many old recipes use lard; this one uses butter, so the biscuits are vegetarian. Where most people go wrong is baking them until golden: vanilice should stay pale, with only the faintest colour on the base, or they turn hard and lose their vanilla scent. Chef's tip: roll them in the sugar while they are still slightly warm from sandwiching, so the coating clings.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 20
Ingredients
For the dough
- 9 oz unsalted buttersoftened
- 3 ½ oz icing sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon zestfinely grated
- 3 ½ oz ground walnuts
- 13 ½ oz plain flourplus extra for rolling
- 1 pinch salt
To finish
- 7 oz apricot or rosehip jamsmooth
- 2 ⅞ oz icing sugar
- 2 tbsp vanilla sugar
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Beat 9 oz unsalted butter and 3 ½ oz icing sugar with a wooden spoon or mixer for 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Beat in 2 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp lemon zest.
4 minStep 2: Add 3 ½ oz ground walnuts, 13 ½ oz plain flour and 1 pinch salt and work them in with your hands just until a soft dough forms; stop as soon as it comes together.
3 minStep 3: Flatten into two discs, wrap and chill for 30 minutes, until firm enough to roll.
30 minStep 4: Heat the oven to 350°F and line two baking trays. Roll one disc on a floured surface to 3–4 mm thick and cut out 3 cm fluted rounds; gather and re-roll the scraps once.
10 minStep 5: Bake one tray at a time for 10–12 minutes, until set and just barely coloured underneath, with pale tops. Repeat with the second tray.
24 minStep 6: Cool the biscuits completely on the trays; they are fragile while warm.
15 minStep 7: Stir the 7 oz apricot or rosehip jam until smooth. Spread ½ tsp on the flat side of half the biscuits and press another biscuit on top.
10 minStep 8: Mix 2 ⅞ oz icing sugar and 2 tbsp vanilla sugar in a bowl and roll each pair in it until covered.
5 minStep 9: Pack into a tin between sheets of paper and leave for at least a day; they soften and taste best after 2 days and keep for 2 weeks.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 25 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vanilice take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 65 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 20 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of unsalted butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of icing sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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