It’s here, it’s here! Spring is here! Tiny green shoots are bursting forth from the barren soil and delicate buds reach longingly toward the sun. Life feels different in spring. Light. Hopeful. Full of promise and surprises.
Who doesn’t enjoy a pleasant surprise? Clear 70 degree weather when it was supposed to rain. An unexpected package in the mailbox. A call from an old beloved friend. Even the smallest unforeseen blessings can make my day.
These playful cookies have an element of surprise that could be just the thing to lift the spirits of a friend this week! Enclosed in tender vanilla cookie lies a hidden layer of fruit filled goodness. Just like spring flowers peeping through the grass, the surprise filling peaks through the cracks on top. You can flavor the interior to your liking and color them to match any themed party.
Pillow cookies make charming and FUN edible gift!
An optimist is the human personification of spring. ~Susan J. Bissonette
The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also. ~Harriet Ann Jacobs
Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world. ~Virgil A. Kraft
To Prepare:
Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy and smooth. Scrape the bowl and add the egg and vanilla. Beat again until smooth.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Slowly add the dry mixture into the butter mixture. Scrape the bowl and beat until just mixed through.
Measure out 1/2 lb. of dough (a little over a ¼ of the batch) into a separate bowl. Refrigerate the larger amount. Add the thick (not runny) fruit jam to the smaller amount of dough. Add a few drops of food coloring. Mix until the color is distributed evenly. Place the “fruity” mixture in the fridge to chill. (It’s much more important for THIS dough to be cold than the vanilla dough, so leave it in for at least 30 minutes.)
Meanwhile, roll the vanilla dough into 1 Tb. sized balls. On a floured work surface, press the balls flat with the palm of your hand. Scoop 1 tsp. of fruity dough on top of each circle.
Pinch up the sides of the circle until the filling is completely enclosed.
Flip the balls over, so that the pinched sides are down. Dip the bottom of a drinking glass in sugar and gently press the balls down to ½ – ¾ inch disks.
Repeat with the rest.
Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes. Then allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 3-5 minutes before moving.
Recipe: Fruity Pillow Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ lb. (2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar + extra for pressing
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 Tb. thick jam (“spreadable fruit”)
- Food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy and smooth. Scrape the bowl and add the egg and vanilla. Beat again until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Slowly add the dry mixture into the butter mixture. Scrape the bowl and beat until just mixed through.
- Measure out ½ lb. of dough (a little over a ¼ of the batch) into a separate bowl. Refrigerate the larger amount.
- Add the thick (not runny) fruit jam to the smaller amount of dough. Add a few drops of food coloring. Mix until the color is distributed evenly.
- Place the “fruity” mixture in the fridge to chill. (It’s much more important for THIS dough to be cold than the vanilla dough, so leave it in for at least 30 minutes.)
- Meanwhile, roll the vanilla dough into 1 Tb. sized balls. On a floured work surface, press the balls flat with the palm of your hand.
- Scoop 1 tsp. of fruity mixture on top of each circle. Pinch up the sides of the circle until the filling is completely enclosed. Flip the balls over, so that the pinched sides are down. Dip the bottom of a drinking glass in sugar and gently press the balls down to ½ – ¾ inch disks.
- Repeat with the rest.
- Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes. Then allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 3-5 minutes before moving. * I like using raspberry jam and lemon curd the best!
Preparation time: 45 minute(s)
Cooking time: 10 minute(s) per batch
Number of servings (yield): 24
Don’t forget to ENTER TO WIN a Fantastic Swissmar Fondue Pot generously provided by CentralChef.com.
Sommer, these sound so great and easy! I might just whip up some of these this week!
These look awesome! I love the surprise burst of color in the middle. What a great way to welcome spring.
LOVE!!! a perfect spring treat!! love the color!!
sweetlife
Oh these look just lovely. I could use one tonight. In the midst of all this tragedy I’m facing, I find solace in these pictures…and in your words. Thank you for sharing with me..and thank you for supporting me through the good and the bad. May your week be full of laughter and love. Hold onto those you love.
These are the coolest cookies I’ve seen. I love the colors and especially how you styled and shot the photos! Absoooolutely gorgeous. Kudos to you and sooo glad I found your site. It’s awesome.
gorgeous cookies- look sinfully divine!
These look like Great Easter cookies!!! I might make these for Iona’s pre-school class before they break for the Easter holidays!
Oh Sommer, those are the cutest cookies I have ever seen, I absolutely loved the colors, and the pictures look fantastic. Have a great week girl.
What a nice colorful surprise inside each cookie, I love the idea!
How cute! What did you use to flavor the blue/green ones?
I used blueberry preserve, but honestly the flavor wasn’t bold enough. The raspberry and lemon were much better!
Absolutely lovely! What a fun cookie~
These look just delightful! I love the idea of “fruity” dough in a middle, nice!
Although it’s officially spring, it’s not quite “here” yet in New England. No worries, it will get here slowly but surely! Love these cookies, they are adorable.
These are so fun!! Love the little surprise inside. =)
I like the fact that the jam is mixed into the dough. It’s a different approche to a jam cookie. The colors are fun as well…Thanks for the idea!
Sommer you are a food artist! What a fun pretty cookie. I love all the quotes and references to Spring renewal – I’m so ready! Very creative and the photos are delicious!
Oh how cute these are! LOVE IT! I’m going to be full for a while after my Lasagna Bowl post today but I muuuuust make these!
I LOVE these cookies, just looking at the colors makes me smile! They are just so cute and they look soooooo good. I will be adding these to my list of must make desserts!
Thanks for the recipe.
yum! looks delish! now, a call from an unexpected friend … WHEN can you guys skype? i’ll have you know, kayla considers ava and carson some of her BEST FRIENDS!
Wow these sound and look delicious….My wife will love this recipe
I love these! They’re so cool. Your recipes are always so fun and creative.
How wonderful those look. You are right, just in time for spring. Sorry our RK project did not work out this time. Maybe another time. Thanks for thinking of us!
These little cookies are so sweet and perfect for a color themed party. I love all the creative baking ideas you come up with, thanks for inspiration and your recipe. Have a great week;-)
I do love those pretty, fruity surprises in the middle. Spring may not be here outside – but it is inside. Love the pillowy softness – it does bode all things new and spring.
how cute and springy!
there is nothing better than a little burst of fruit and color for a cookie- Love the idea… Perfect to match centers for a themed party (like a baby shower- cookies with pink centers)!
These are just beautiful! Do you think these would ship well? I have a son at the Naval Academy, and I love sending him cookies. I think these would be a nice surprise!
Thanks!
this looks like just the recipe for the next time one of the grandgirls is coming over. thanks, Spicy!
Oh, these are gorgeous cookies!!!
colourful soft cookies delicious
These cookies look so pretty and fun! I love the color.
These look so cute and delightful! Perfect for spring!
It’s been raining a lot here…sigh…can I make these cookies to cheer me up:) Do I really need a reason to make these cookies? They look fantastic and so much fun!
What a great technique! I tried to fill cookies with jam once and it just bubbled right through the dough, but I love the idea of mixing it with dough to make it mesh better with the dough. Gorgeous colors and happy spring to you
omg, sommers this looks wow, one more of ur recipe bookmarked ! great clicks
They looks sooo cute!! and not that tough to bake … love the colors you added and beautiful clicks as always
What a great cookie idea. Beautiful job. Wow.
Those cookies look so fun and lovely!
Gorgeous cookies! Just perfect for these beautiful Spring days we’re having.
I love the name of these cookies, and what a surprise when you bit into them! Perfect for easter:) My son would love these.
This is beauty! Sheer beauty!
These are awesome! I love them! I love that Spring is here. I’m already craving lemon and lime goodies! I can’t wait to try these!
Raspberry and lemon would be my favorite combination. What a fantastic idea to fill the cookies in this unique way. Love it.
Those are adorable.
What a colorful cookie…it looks delicious.
Oh my, I am so going to make these for some Easter baskets!! They are adorable!
I love the first quote and I want now one of the pink cookies with my milk (Yes I do drink milk before I go to bed
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These cookies are so beautiful! There is something wonderful about primary colors and Spring. I can’t wait for the rain to stop here and the Sun to return to my part of the world. Hope that you’re well, dry and happy, just like these delightful cookies.
THOSE ARE AWESOME!!!! I love this idea so much that it has now inspired a new idea for these cookies! Just so adorable! Thanks!
WOwowowo these cookies look amazing , I recently discovered your blog and just love it and would like to pass on this award , please go here for the details http://yumanddelish.blogspot.com/2011/03/fondant-handbag-cake.html
These look great!
How fun are these? My kids would enjoy making different kinds of these.
Hi Sommer-LOVE these pillow cookies. My son was hanging by me when I opened the post and he said, “we make these mommy??”. And yes, I believe we will very soon. Delicious!
*squeels in delight!
These are so fun!
I can’t wait to make them for my kids. I’ll make a double batch and share them.
These look like a lot of fun! Can’t wait to try them out!
These look amazing! I love the colours, I think I shall make it for my little cousins birthday party this weekend. Thanks for the recipe
Sommer, I love the concept of these fun cookies! My kids would go nuts over them
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Happy Spring! These are so wonderful, love the fruity center
These are extra cute! I can see them being a big hit at a bridal or baby shower!
OH, HOW incredibly pretty! My students would LOVE to make these. It is not too often that I come across a cookie recipe I have not seen before, and this is definitely a FIRST for me here. I am thrilled. Great tutorial.
YUM!!!
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Valerie
despite the cold weather outside your cookies scream Spring and sun.
So colorful, no kid could resit them
thanks for sharing Sommer
I haven’t tried the fruity pillow cookies but they sound great!
I used to have a big cookie book with101 recipes.
I can barely open my eyes – it’s nearly bedtime, but I just HAD to check these babies out! They are adorable and look completely irressistable. Bad news for me though – I’m on a diet *pffft*
YUM! What cool looking cookies. They sound delicious too, so nice that the jam doesn’t make the cookies soggy but adds flavor. Thanks to the other commenters, I’m thinking of making these with lemon extract in the dough (1 t vanilla and 1 t lemon more specifically), then raspberry jam. Mmmm. Too bad I just made cookies yesterday. They’re almost gone but that’s probably even more reason not to make cookies again so soon