The mixed bull’s eye cookies are delicious pastries filled with peach jam and hazelnut cream, two overlapping shortcrust pastry discs that enclose a luscious and creamy heart.
They are the classic cookies seen in pastry shops but very simple to make at home, perfect for any occasion starting from breakfast, snack, or after a meal, excellent to enjoy with a nice cup of tea.
The classic cookies have a simple round shape, but today they can also be made in different shapes: scalloped, flower, heart, star, etc., based on occasions and holidays, and can be filled to taste according to personal preferences.
Bull’s eye cookies are called so because their round shape resembles the placid eyes of an ox and, in the original version, i.e., filled with apricot jam and without icing sugar on top, also resemble the classic fried egg.
Today I prepared these cookies with mixed fillings using two different cutters, naturally, the possible variations are endless, and you can fill and decorate the cookies as you prefer.
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- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 25
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients for the cookies
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 7/16 cup sugar
- 5/8 cup butter
- Half teaspoon baking powder
- 1 egg (medium)
- 1 grated lemon zest
- 1 pinch vanilla powder
- as needed peach jam
- as needed hazelnut cream
- as needed powdered sugar (for dusting)
Tools
- 1 Stand Mixer
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 Parchment Paper
- 1 Cookie Cutter round
- 1 Cookie Cutter flower-shaped mold
- 1 Baking Sheet
- 1 Oven
Steps for Mixed Bull’s Eye Cookies
In the stand mixer’s bowl, or in a bowl with a hand spatula, work the softened butter with the sugar, use the K-beater at low speed, then add the egg, the grated lemon zest, and the vanilla, work everything until it forms a cream.
Gradually add the sifted flour together with the baking powder, work quickly until the liquids are well absorbed.
Pour the dough on a pastry board and work it further until you form a good soft but dry dough.
Let the dough rest wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge for about 20 – 30 minutes.Take the shortcrust pastry from the fridge and roll it out on a floured pastry board, using the rolling pin, to a thickness of about 3/16 inch.
With a round cookie cutter, choose the size you prefer, cut out shapes from the dough which must be in pairs as two are needed for each cookie.
In half of the shapes, make a central hole, using a piping bag nozzle or a cap.
Place the cookie shapes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake the cookies for about 12 – 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 356°F, being careful not to let them darken too much.
The baking time also depends on the power of your oven, you can adjust by sight.
Once baked, remove them from the oven, let them cool on a cooling rack and then dust the perforated shapes with powdered sugar.With a teaspoon, distribute some jam or marmalade in the center of the whole cookies, alternate the flavors, I used peach and hazelnut cream, place the shape with the hole on top and press gently to make them adhere well.
Proceed in the same way to fill all the bull’s eye cookies.Place the cookies on a tray and serve, perfect even as a gift idea!
Storage and Tips
The cookies keep for several days in a cool place under a dome or in a tin.
You can fill them with other ingredients according to your tastes.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I use a lactose-free shortcrust pastry?
Certainly, for those who are lactose intolerant, you can substitute butter with lactose-free butter or with seed or fruity olive oil, reducing the oil amount by 30 g compared to butter.
Or see these doses here: lactose-free cookies and shortcrust pastry with oil.Can I decorate the cookies with melted chocolate?
For an even more indulgent version, melt dark chocolate in a bain-marie and dip half of the cookie into it, also sprinkle with hazelnut or pistachio crumbs to taste.
