Vampire Cookies - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup red jam (raspberry or strawberry)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325\u00b0F.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light.
Beat in egg and extracts.
Add flour and salt to the bowl and mix them into the butter-sugar mixture at low speed until dough is just combined.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Divide dough in half and keep the portion you are not using in the refrigerator.
Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface until it is about 1/8-inch thick.
Use a cookie cutter to cut out 2-inch rounds.
Place rounds on a baking sheet, put a teaspoon of jam on each of them and cover with another round of dough. Press edges down lightly, pinching the edges onto the cookie sheet.
Use a toothpick and poke two small holes (like a vampire bite) in the top of each cookie.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are set.
Cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Dip a toothpick in some extra red jam and re-insert in the \"bite\" holes you made before baking to emphasize them, if not already red. Draw a blood trickle down from one of the bites with the jam, if desired.
Cookies are best the day they are made.