Striped Icebox Cookies

So I've officially become obsessed with Martha Stewart's Cookie Book. Bad news bears for me, good news for coworkers and friends.

I stare at the book's spine every night, neatly put away with the other cookbooks. And it just sits there calling my name, telling me to just take a peek. A little peek never hurt anyone. But of course, as everyone knows, a tiny peek will lead to a cookie throwdown in my apartment. Especially with this book. Every cookie listed has a beautiful picture to go with it, showing just what the cookie would look like when made (basically, fun in a photograph). Gosh darn you Martha people!

I need to just buy stock in butter.

These are very pretty cookies. They would look lovely on a cookie platter. They have a delicate butter flavor and just enough sugary jam.

Striped IceBox Cookies
Martha Stewart's Cookie Book

for the filling:

 3/4 cup dried cherries

 1/3 cup red fruit jam (I used a homemade raspberry)

 1 tablespoons sugar

 1/8 teaspoon almond extract

for the dough:

 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

 1 teaspoon baking powder

 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

 1 cup sugar

 1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make filling: Process cherries, jam and sugar in a food processor until coarsely pureed. Transfer to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and stir in almond extract. Let cool completely.

Make dough: Whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined.

Transfer dough to a work surface. Divide into four equal parts. Roll one piece of dough between two sheets of parchment paper to a 3 1/2 by 9-inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces. Transfer with parchment to a baking sheet, and freeze 30 minutes.

Assemble cookies: Remove top pieces of parchment. Spread one-third of the filling evenly over one rectangle. Top with another rectangle; remove parchment. Repeat with remaining filling and rectangles, leaving the top rectangle uncoated. Wrap in plastic, and freeze 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Trim dough to a 3 1/4 by 8 1/2-inch brink. Cut into 1/4-inch thick slices. Space 2 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with nonstick baking mats. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are pale golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.