My Aunt Cyndy’s Dusen Confecto cookies are a very special tradition in our family, so before we get into the actual recipe, let’s talk about just why Aunt Cyndy’s Dusen Confecto cookies are so near and dear to my heart.

My Aunt Cyndy is the best baker I have ever known in my life. Aunt Cyndy doesn’t take short cuts or use any substitutions in her baking. She doesn’t attempt to make her delicious treats ‘healthy’ or ‘better for you’. No sirree. Her baking is the real deal and there is nothing quite like it. And as much as you all know that I love a good ‘healthied-up’ version of pretty much anything, there is just something about a dessert that is SUPPOSED to be full of fat and sugar and I appreciate that. I appreciate a dessert being so damn WORTH IT!

Ok, moving on. My Aunt Cyndy has been making these Dusen Confecto cookies for as long as I can remember. These and all different varieties of Christmas cookies. (Btw, her peanut brittle is also TO DIE FOR.) But these Dusen Confecto cookies have always taken the cake (or shall I say cookie) for me. Every Christmas, Cyndy would give our family a box of her amazing cookies and there would only be one of two of these… I HAD to have it. I would dig my greedy little fingers through the box until I found one. I had to get to it before anyone else in my family. haha! What I am trying to say is that they are unbelievable.

They are so delicious that I made 400 of these for my wedding – one for each guest that attended. My Aunt Cyndy also made our wedding cake. I won’t even start telling you how good her cakes are. That’s a story for another day. I will make these cookies on occasion for Valentine’s Day or birthdays. I only make them for very special people and very special occasions because they are not super easy or fast. As you can see from the directions below, there are a few steps and you have to work fast and in small batches. You will get a hang of it, it just takes some practice! I put several tips in the recipe below, so make sure to read those. Also, this is the kind of jam I use, but you could absolutely experiment with other kinds!

Please let me know if you ty them! I am so happy I get the chance to share this fabulous recipe with all of you!

Aunt Cyndy’s Dusen Confecto Cookies

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Prep Time 1

Cook Time 10

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Equipment

Stand or Hand Mixer
blender
Baking Sheet
Parchment Paper
Piping Bag or Ziplock Bag with the corner snipped

Ingredients

For Cookie Dough

2 1/3 Cup AP Flour
1/2 Cup White sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
1 Cup Butter room temp
1/2 Cup Almonds ground
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
1-2 Tbsp Water (optional. Depends on the consistency of the dough)

To assemble cookies after they are baked

1/2 cup Seedless raspberry jam
1/2 White White sugar

Instructions

PREP: Preheat your over to 350°, cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, blend your almonds so they are ground and set aside, and Put your jelly into a piping bag or a ziplock bag snipped at the corner.
Mix together flour, sugar + salt
Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a hand mixer, stand mixer, or with a pastry cutter.
Next add in the ground almonds and vanilla and mix until you form a ball of dough. The dough will be on the crumbly side. If you find that the dough it too crumbly to pack together, add 1-2 Tbsp of water.
Lightly flour your surface and roll the dough out to about 1/4-1/8 thickness and cut with a small cookie cutter. (The smaller the better. I suggest using a 1.5-2" cookie cutter.)
Bake an EVEN number of cookies at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Tip: You will want to cook in small batches – about 10 to 12 cookies as at time. I will explain why below.)
Flip half of the cookies over and start piping on the jelly. Leave a little space around the edges because the jelly will spread as you push the cookies together. (See pictures below)
Set another hot cookie on top and gently press them together. Assemble all cookies before rolling them in sugar. Your 10-12 cookies will end up making 5-6 complete cookies.
Next roll your assembled cookies in your bowl of sugar and set on a rack to cool.
Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator, but allow them to reach room temperature before serving.
NOTES:
1. The reason why you want to work fast in small batches is because the jelly will cook a little and hold the cookies together. The sugar also sticks better to hot cookies.
2. The number of cookies you will get depends on the size cookie cutter you use and how thin you roll your dough, but I typically get around 24-26 assembled cookies from one batch.
3. Use a cookie cutter without something that sticks out, like the trunk of a Christmas tree. The hearts were much easier because they didn't have anything that could break off like the trunks of the trees.