Traditional Algerian Sables (Cookies) - Like Linzer Augen - cooking recipe

Ingredients

For the Sables
1 cup margarine or 1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large free range egg
2 1/2 cups plain flour (allpurpose)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
To decorate
3/4 cup strawberry jam (or preserve of your choice)
1/2 - 3/4 cup icing sugar (confectioners)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 170\u00b0C
Cream the margarine & sugar(s) until light & fluffy.
Beat in the egg & vanilla, then gradually fold in the flour & baking powder.
Mix slowly until a soft dough forms. The dough is very soft & needs handling with care but it shouldn't be sticky. If your dough is still a little sticky, sift in a little extra flour.
Roll out to about 4mm thick, be sure to flour the rolling pin well.
Cut out 'tops & bottoms' for your sables.
Place on a baking tray lined with aluminium foil (shiny side up) & bake for 8 minutes. The sables should be just set but still white.
Allow the sables to cool on the sheet for a minute then remove to a cold plate or tray to finish cooling.
When the sables are fully cooled, heat the jam until bubbling.
Place all the sables tops onto a tray & dust generously with the icing sugar.
Allow the jam to cool slightly then spoon approx 1/2 tsp of the jam onto the underside of the sables 'bottoms'.
Then carefully place a 'top' over the blob of jam.
Allow to set, then store in one layer in an airtight container for upto 10 days.