Spitzbuebe (Swiss butter cookies filled with raspberry) translates to "bad boys" in Swiss.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies
You can make and chill the dough for up to two days in advance.
3/4 lbs unsalted butter (3 sticks), softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 egg yolks
3 1/2 cups flour
1 cup seedless raspberry preserves
1 vanilla bean
1 tsp vanilla extract
Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape the black seeds from the pod into a large mixing bowl. (The pods can be saved to make vanilla sugar.) Add 1 tsp vanilla extract. Beat butter and 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar in the same mixing bowl with an electric mixer on low speed. Increase speed to medium; beat until light and fluffy. Add yolks one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add flour 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition to combine. Scrape sides of bowl with a spatula; give the dough one last stir. Transfer dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap and press it into a 9"x11" rectangle. Cover with more plastic wrap, place on a large plate, and let chill for 1 hour.
Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 325 degrees. Divide chilled dough into 6 pieces. Rewrap 5 pieces individually in plastic wrap and chill. On a lightly floured surface,work the dough piece gently with a rolling pin to warm it slightly. Keeping surface and dough floured, roll dough into a 9" square. (If dough sticks, gently run a spatula underneath it, to release it. If the cookies break when they are transfered to the baking sheets, then try this method instead: Roll the dough on alumnium foil or parchment paper. Pull the scraps off of the cookies, leaving the cookies on the paper. Place the paper on a cookie sheet and bake.) Using a 3" round cookie cutter, cut out 9 circles of dough and transfer them to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet about 1" apart; reserve scraps. Repeat process with remaining chilled dough pieces. Combine leftover scraps into a ball. Reroll dough and continue cutting circles. Using a 1 1/4" round cookie cutter, cut a hole in the center of half of the circles--these are the tops. Bake all cookies in batches, rotating pans halfway through, until just pale golden, about 15 minutes. Let cookies cool completely.
Put preserves into a small pot and bring to a boil, stirring, over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring, until thickened and reduced by about one-quarter, about 5 minutes. Transfer preserves to a bowl; let cool. Put remaining confectioners' sugar into a sieve; dust cookie tops. Turn whole cookies upside down--these are the bottoms; spoon about 1/2 tsp of preserves onto each. Using a small spatula, spread preserves to within 1/8" of the edges. Cover each with a cookie top. Transfer remaining preserves into a plastic bag and snip the end. Using it like a piping bag, pipe a small amount of preserves into each hole. Sever cookies immediately or store between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container at room temperature.Recipe adapted from the recpie contributed by Nick Malgieri for Gourmet magazine December 2006, Number 98
