Apricot Stars

• 1/2 prepared Basic Butter Cookie Dough
• 2/3 cup apricot jam

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Halve dough and reserve one half, covered and chilled.
3. Roll out remaining dough between sheets of wax paper into an approximately 10-inch square, about 1/8 inch thick, and freeze or chill on a baking sheet until firm about 15 minutes.
4. With a 1 1/2- to 2-inch star-shaped cookie cutter cut out stars, arranging them about 1 inch apart on baking sheets and gathering scraps to reroll and cut for a total of 60 stars.
5. If dough becomes too soft to work with, refreeze or chill uncut dough until firm.
6. Bake cookies in batches in middle of oven until pale golden, about 8 minutes, and transfer carefully to racks to cool.
7. Roll out, chill or freeze if necessary, and cut out reserved dough in same manner into about 60 more stars.
8. With a smaller star or round cutter cut and lift out centers of second batch of stars.
9. Bake second batch of cookies in middle of oven until pale golden, about 8 minutes, and transfer carefully to racks and cool.
10. In a small saucepan simmer jam, stirring, 2 minutes, and strain through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on solids.
11. On a tray or work surface, arrange whole stars, bottom sides up.
12. Drop 1/4 teaspoon jam on each cookie, spreading almost to edges, and top with a cut-out star.
13. Any remaining jam can be spooned into centers.
14. Let cookies stand until set.
15. Cookies may be stored between layers of wax paper in airtight containers up to 6 weeks frozen.

butter, apricot jam

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/apricot-stars-104632 (may not work)