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california strawberry jam empire cookies
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Vegan Strawberry Jam Empire Cookies

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Inactive Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Cuisine: Vegan
Servings: 16 -18 assembled cookies + 1/3 cup of extra jam
Author: Lisa Le

Ingredients

For the jam:

  • 3 cups 395 g frozen California strawberries (I used whole strawberries, but sliced work great too)
  • 2 tbsp 30 mL lemon juice
  • 1-2 tbsp 15-30 mL white granulated sugar (depending on the sweetness of your strawberries and your preference)
  • 1 tbsp 15 mL chia seeds

For the cookies:

  • ¾ cup 150 g white granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup 150 g vegan margarine (like vegan Becel)
  • 1 pinch kosher salt
  • 1 tsp 5 mL vanilla extract
  • 3 cups 395 g all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup + 2 tbsp 90 mL unsweetened soy milk

For the glaze:

  • ½ cup 62 g icing sugar
  • 1 tbsp 15 mL lemon juice
  • 2 tsp 10 mL water

Instructions

For the jam:

  • In a small sauce pot, cook the frozen California strawberries over medium heat until you can mash them either with a fork or a potato masher. Add lemon juice and white sugar and stir until the sugar is melted.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the chia seeds. Let sit for about 10 minutes for the chia seeds to hydrate. If you want a thicker jam, you can increase to 2 tbsp chia seeds, but I like the jam soaking into the cookies a bit so I kept it at 1 tbsp. Transfer to a jar and let cool.

For the cookies:

  • Using a mixer, cream the sugar and vegan butter together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and salt and mix to combine. Add the flour in 3 increments, alternating with the soy milk, mixing between each increment until everything is incorporated. The dough should clump together well when you squeeze it. Shape into two flat discs and cover with cling film or plastic alternative to let relax in the fridge while the oven preheats.
  • Preheat oven to 350F.
  • Take one disc of dough out and roll to about ¼ - 1/3 inch thickness. Use a 3 inch round cookie cutter and cut as many out as possible. Place on a lined baking tray with about 1/2 inch of space between the cookies. They shouldn’t expand, but the extra space makes it easier to remove the cookies once baked.
  • Bake for 13-15 minutes until the bottoms are a golden brown (you may see the top edges starting to get lightly golden too). Remove from oven and let set on the tray for a minute or two before transferring the cookies to a cooling rack. Let the cookies cool completely. Repeat with the other disc of dough until all cookies are baked.

For the glaze:

  • Combine icing sugar, lemon juice and water in a bowl until smooth.

Assembling the cookies:

  • Start by pairing up the cookies that match each other the best, golden bottoms facing inside. On the tops (strategically the uglier tops), spread about ½ tsp of the glaze. It’s okay if it drips off the side a bit, they’ll be messy but still delicious! On the bottoms, spoon about 2 tbsp of the chia jam on each cookie. Don’t spread all the way to the edge, they’ll squish as you sandwich the two pieces together.
  • Add the tops to the jammy bottoms and let the cookies sit for about 15 minutes before eating! The jam will soften the cookies and make them tender and delicious! Store in an airtight container once the glaze has completely hardened, and eat within a couple days.