Belgian Cookies Recipe, also known as Empire Cookies
This holiday season, I have shared quite a few of my favourite cookie & bar recipes with you, but this one is different, it’s special. This recipe for Belgian Cookies is perhaps my all-time favourite cookie recipe, as well a holiday traditionin my family. I have been enjoying these delicious cookies at my Grandma’s house since I was little girl, and have made them a handful of times with my Mom. This year, I made them on my own for the first time; with more than a few text messages to my Mom throughout the process.
I am going to be upfront: these Belgian Cookiesare a commitment. There are many steps to making these, some waiting time. And, depending on how many you are making, it can take the better part of your day. I am going to detailmy process, as well asall the little tricks Iknow.
The Cookies
- Once you make your dough (see recipe at bottom of page), roll it out – I rolled my dough to 1/4″ thick, but in retrospect I probably should have rolled it to 1/6″ or 1/8″
- Cut out your cookies in the desired shape, bake, and let cool completely
- Keep in mind, these are a stacked cookie, so if you want to end up with 30 completed cookies, you need to bake 60 cookies
- Once cool, I like to pairthe cookiesup so that they have a partner the same shape, and I like to hide the not-so-pretty ones on the bottoms
- TIP: Cut your maraschino cherries in half, and place them cut side down on a paper towel – this will allow them to dry and the colour won’t bleed into the icing later
The Assembly
- Spread seedless raspberry jam onto thebottom cookie – you want enough that it will stick the cookies together, but not so much that it will ooze out
- Place thetop cookie on top, gently squeeze together and set aside. I recommend letting them sit for a short while before continuing, allowing the jam to firm up slightly and secure the cookies together
- Make theicing – you want it easy to spreadbut notrunny – and spread on thetop cookie
- Place half a maraschino cherry, cut side down, in the middle of the icing
A Few More Tips
- It is important to use white margarine, to avoid your cookies having a yellowish tinge
- Bake time will depend on your oven and your pans – I recommend starting at 8 minutes, and increasing the time by 30 seconds as needed
- I like to use a regular spoon from the cutlery drawer to put on both the jam and the icing – you can scoop it out, drop it on, and then spread with the back of the spoon
- Let these set up for a couple of hours before you package them up or freeze them
- Freezing: you can freeze these as a completed cookie; or you can bake the cookie, freeze them, and assemble them later
This particular time, I baked a double batch of cookies. When rolled out to 1/4″ thick, thisyielded 5 dozen cookies plus an extra bit of dough that may have made another half dozen if I had used it. This meant I ended up with 30 completed cookies, for which I needed almost a full 250mL jar of jam and a little less than a double recipe of the icing.
Bake & Enjoy
3 from 2 votes
Belgian Cookies (Empire Cookies)
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1cupwhite margarine
- 3/4cupwhite sugar
- 1egg
- 3cupsall purpose flour
- 1scant tsp baking powder
- 1tspvanilla
For the Icing
- 1cupicing sugar
- 1/2tspalmond extract
- 3to 4 tsp water
For the Assembly
- Maraschino cherriesjar usually found in baking aisle
- Seedless raspberry jam
Instructions
For the Cookies
Cream margarine
Add sugar & egg, beat until light
Add vanilla, mix
Sift flour & baking powder, add in gradually
Roll out thinly, and cut out
Bake about 8 minutes at 350F - do not brown
Cool completely on wire rack
For the Icing
Put icing sugar in a bowl
Add almond extract
Add water, start with 3 tsp, and mix
If needed add 1/2 tsp more at a time
For the Assembly
Spread jam on a cookie, place second cookie on top, gently press together
Set aside, and continue until all cookies are sandwiched with jam
Spread icing on top cookie, place maraschino cherry in centre
Set aside, and allow to set up for a few hours before packaging or freezing
Sarah
I am a busy mom to 3 kids, so my days are typically filled with tea parties & story books, singing & dancing, crafts (for as long as a 3yo’s attention span will allow) & cuddles. All the while trying to keep up with laundry & cleaning & meals (we have PB&J sandwiches for dinner more often than I’ll ever admit). The days (& weeks, & months) seem to speed past so I try to soak up as much as I can each day.
