Raspberry Ribbon Cookies | Swanky Recipes (2024)

Raspberry Ribbon Cookies combine the sweetness of a buttery sugar cookie and the fruity tartness of raspberry jam. It couldn’t be more beautiful placed on your platter or holiday tray filled with other Christmas cookies.

With all the cookies placed out for the holiday season, this one will draw the most attention. Raspberry ribbon cookies are similar to thumbprint cookies with jam centers. However, I find these cookies much easier to make. Instead of scooping individual portions of cookie dough and pressing a thumbprint into each cookie and filling it with jam, it’s much easier to bake 4 logs of dough and fill it with jam then cut them into the perfect serving sizes.

What I like about this cookie is that you can make the well that you place the jam in as wide as you want. Just plan on having extra jam on hand in case more is desired. If you like a sweeter cookie, make your well wider so you have a larger jam to cookie ratio. In addition, any jam flavor can be used. Why not flavor each log with a different jam flavor if you desire a variety for a special occasion.

In Sweden, ribbon cookies are known aswienerstänger,syltsnittar,hallonsnittar, orskurna syltkakor. Some of the names I’ve encountered in English include Scandinavian raspberry ribbons, Swedish raspberry ribbon cookies, raspberry diamonds, jelly slices, jam diagonals, and split second cookies.

How to Make Raspberry Ribbon Cookies

1. Cream butter and sugar in stand mixer with bowl or hand mixer.
2. Beat in egg. Beat in extracts, and salt.
3. Beat in baking powder.
4. Gradually mix in flour.
5. Divide cookie dough into four equal portions and chill in refrigerator.
6. Roll dough into a 10-inch log. Pat/roll log to 2-inches wide.
7. Bake in 350°F for 10 minutes.
8. Make a well down the center of the dough using a tablespoon bottom or spoon.
9. Fill with raspberry jam.
10. Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes.
11. Cool each cookie bar completely.
12. Cut into strips.
13. Whisk together powdered sugar, water, and extract.
14. Drizzle iced frosting over cookies using a spoon.

Ingredients in Ribbon Cookies

Butter: The butter flavor is pronounced in this cookie recipe. I prefer to use a good quality tasting butter for this purpose. In addition, butter has changed over the years. Cows milk is different than it was decades ago. Cows are fed a different diet and thus it’s passed down into the milk. The butter fat content in butter now days is different than in the past. These classic and traditional cookies work well with the butter and flour ratio.

Sugar: The recipe calls for both powdered sugar and granulated sugar. I like to use a combination of both sugars for the best taste and texture. Powdered sugar is also used to make an easy icing glaze.

Jam: I prefer to use a seedless jam when I make cookies. Raspberry or strawberry jam are popular options for cookie fillings. A variety of different jam flavors are available on the market that can be used to flavor the cookies. For more flavor inspiration, see jam flavors in the reader tips and questions section. To make the jam easier to fill in the cookie dough, pour the jam into a small bowl and whisk or whip it with a fork, spoon, or whisk until it’s smooth and soft.

Flour: all-purpose flour.

Egg: Just one egg is needed for this recipe. It works to bind the ingredients together.

Variations

• pipe a swirl of buttercream on top and sprinkle it with sprinkles
• swap out raspberry jam with another flavor; ideas listed below
• top with holiday sprinkles
• drizzle with melted white chocolate, dark chocolate, or milk chocolate
• dust with powdered sugar

Ribbon Cookies Reader Questions and Tips

Can I use another flavor jam? Absolutely. I have found a variety of different flavored jams at different grocery stores. Another option to buying jam is to shop online. Just type in your preferred jam flavor and do a quick search for it. Also, homemade jams can be used. During the summer months, my mom likes to make her own jam from fresh fruits and store them in the freezer to use throughout the year. Other jam flavors include grape, wild blueberry, strawberry, blackberry, fig, cherry, peach, apricot, pineapple, mango, bacon jam, apple, pear, rhubarb, elderberry, lingonberry, and red plum. Another option is to use lemon curd.

What’s the difference between jam, jelly, and preserves? Do I have to use jam? I highly suggest using jam in certain dessert cookie recipes. Jelly does not contain any pieces of fruit and is much easier to spread, however, using a jam, it will set up easier and not spread as much. Preserves use much larger chunks of fruit which may make it difficult to spread on the cookie bars. Whichever jam flavor is used, be sure to smooth it by whisking it with a fork or spoon in a bowl before filling in the well in these cookies. Different consistencies in jam, jelly, and preserves will give you different results. Because sugar is what makes a jam stiffer, a low sugar seedless jam will give you more raspberry flavor but will spread out more. Full sugar jams are firmer. Find a jelly, or seedless jam over a preserve as preserves are chunkier and resemble mashed fruit.

How do I store raspberry ribbon cookies? Store the ribbon cookies for about a week in a sealed container. Use a piece of wax paper or parchment paper between layers if you need to stack them. Refrigerating or freezing the cookies will extent the shelf life of the cookies. They can be made a couple weeks in advance and stored in the freezer.

Can I freeze the cookies? These cookies have a little shorter freezer life than most cookies because of the extra moisture in the jam. Freeze for a month or so.

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