These Mini turnover Cookies With Jam are an easy-to-make dessert when you have a sweet tooth. The dough is rolled out, cut into small round shapes, filled with your favorite jam, and sealed with a fork. Simple ingredients, delicious and easy-to-make little cookies, perfect for any occasion!
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❓What are these Mini Turnover Cookies With Jam?
This simple cookie recipe comes from my German grandmother, Herta, from Transylvania. Unique in style, these special cookies resemble "turnovers" but don't have an exact match in traditional German baking.
Among the few recipes from my grandmother, these jam-filled turnovers hold fond baking memories and are a cherished family favorite. I saw this type of cookie, also called ravioli cookies, but I am not sure I would go for that name.
This dough is easy to make, delicious, and versatile, suitable for cookies but also for various pie recipes, as the dough can be used as a pie crust. Its Eastern European origin is reflected in the use of vinegar, which enhances the crust's texture without affecting its taste or smell. The dough can be prepared either manually or with a food processor.
The presence of vinegar is an interesting addition. While not commonly found in all cookie dough or pie crust recipes, it's known to make the dough more tender.
Each component plays a crucial role in achieving the desired texture and flavor of the dough. Remember, work less the dough to obtain a flaky pastry.
📝 Key Ingredients
If you make the dough from scratch, you will need:
- All-purpose flour: You can substitute it with a gluten-free all-purpose flour mix for a gluten-free version. For a healthier version, you could use whole wheat flour, but it might alter the texture and taste of the cookies.
- Unsalted butter: I always use unsalted butter, as I like to control the salt in the baking goods. However, if you have only salted butter, do not add the salt required in the recipe. It contributes to the flakiness and rich flavor.
- White wine vinegar: I like this vinegar because it doesn't have much flavor. It can be replaced with apple cider vinegar or lemon juice if you don't have it on hand. Please do not skip it, as the vinegar helps tenderize the dough by inhibiting gluten development.
- Cold water: it is used to bring the dough together. And yes, it has to be icy cold water, not warm.
- Salt: Enhances the other flavors in the cookies. You could use either table salt or sea salt. Remember, if you use salted butter, skip the salt.
- Powdered sugar: This sugar is also called confectioner's sugar. It's used for dusting on top of the cookies. If you don't have it, you can make your own by grinding granulated sugar in a blender or food processor. You could also use a dusting of granulated sugar for a crunchier topping or leave it off entirely.
- Fruit jam: You can use any kind you like. Use a thick preserve instead of jam if you don't have it. Plums, apples, strawberries, raspberries, or orange marmalade are all good. If you want a lower-sugar version, you could use a reduced-sugar or sugar-free jam.
👩🍳 How to make these jam-filled pocket cookies
Here, you have step-by-step instructions on how to make these cookies, so make sure you read them before you start working on the recipe. Scroll down to the bottom of the article to find a printable recipe card.
Start the dough.
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C and prepare a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step 2. Make the dough either by hand or with a food processor:
- By hand: Sift flour into a bowl, add cold, chopped butter, and blend until it forms pea-sized crumbles. Then, mix in water, salt, and vinegar to form a smooth ball of dough.
- In a food processor: Combine flour and butter, pulsing until crumbly, then add water, salt, and vinegar, pulsing again until smooth.
Step 3. Form the cookies: Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to ¼ inch thick on a floured board, and use a glass or cookie cutter to cut circles. Place a spoonful of jam in the center of each circle, fold the dough over, and press the edges with a fork to seal..
- Step 4: Bake. Arrange the cookies on the prepared sheet and bake for 17-20 minutes.
- Step 5. Cool the cookies. After baking, let the cookies cool on a rack.
- Step 6. Serve. Before serving, sprinkle powdered sugar over the cookies.
Pro Tips:
- The cookie's sweetness comes only from the jam inside and the powdered sugar on top because the dough has no sugar at all.
- You can always make a double batch and store it for later use, or make cookies and a pie using the same recipe.
- If you don't want to make a dough, use a store-bought pie crust or leftover pie dough to make a few cookies.
❄️ How to store
Cool cookies completely before storing in an airtight container, layering with parchment to prevent sticking. Keep in a cool, dark place for up to a week or refrigerate in hot weather. For longer storage, freeze with parchment layers for up to three months and thaw before serving.
🍽️ How to serve
These cookies are definitely suitable for the holidays. Their jam-filled centers and the option to dust them with powdered sugar give them a festive look that's perfect for holiday gatherings.
Additionally, since they can be filled with various jams, you can customize them to feature seasonal flavors like raspberry, apricot, or even spiced jams. They can be a delightful addition to a holiday cookie tray or as a homemade gift for friends and family.
Here are some of my favorite cookie recipes for the holidays:
- Christmas Cookies & Bars From Around The World
- Czech Bars
- Saxon Walnut Rose Hip Jam Bars
- Easy Rum Balls Recipe (No Bake)
- Peanut Butter Snowball Cookies
- Walnut Shortbread Cookies
🙋♀️ Recipe faqs
Besides jam, you can experiment with various fillings like chocolate spread, lemon curd, or nut butters. Each filling can offer a unique flavor profile to the cookies.
Yes, you can prepare the dough in advance and refrigerate it for a day or two. Just ensure it's wrapped tightly in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. You can also freeze it and use it as needed.
Absolutely! As a variation, spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom can be added to the dough for an aromatic twist.
🍪 More Delicious Cookies To Try:
📖 Recipe
Mini Turnover Cookies With Jam
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter cold, chopped into small pieces (8.8oz)
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 4 tablespoons water cold
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 16 ounces fruit jam plums, apples, strawberries, raspberries etc
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
- Prepare the baking sheet: Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- You can make the dough by hand or in a food processor:
- By hand: Sift the flour in a bowl and add the cold chopped butter. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour until you obtain pea-size crumbles. Over the crumbles, add water, salt, and vinegar, and mix with your hands until you get a smooth dough.
- Food processor: Add the butter to the flour and pulse 3-4 times until the dough looks like pea-size crumbles. Add water, salt, and vinegar and pulse until you obtain a smooth dough.
- Shape the cookies: Roll the dough on a floured surface to about ¼ inch thickness and cut circles with a water glass or a round cookie cutter.
- Add jam: Place a dollop of jam in the middle and fold the dough in half.
- Close the cookies: Use a fork to press the edges of the cookie together and place the cookie on the baking sheet.
- Bake: When all cookies are formed, bake them at 350F/180C for about 17-20 mins.
- Cool: Remove from the oven and let them cool on a metal rack.
- Serve: Dust powdered sugar over each cookie and serve.
Notes
- Expert Tip: To ensure a flaky texture, keep your butter and water as cold as possible when making the dough.
- Filling Variations: Experiment with different jams like strawberry, apricot, or blackberry. You can also try chocolate spread or lemon curd for a unique twist.
- Dough Handling: Avoid overworking the dough to maintain its tenderness. Roll it out gently for the best results.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container to keep them fresh. If in a warm climate, refrigerating the cookies can preserve their texture.
Lia says
Hi ! I was wondering if you can tell me if I can use Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry sheets instead of the homemade dough ? Thanks 🙂
The Bossy Kitchen says
Of course, but as you can imagine, they will have a different texture! After all, they are cookies, if you use puff pastry, they will become pastries! Very different!
Linda Gundros says
I just had these cookies and the dough used was refrigerated store bought pie crust( 2 rolls per box).
They were filled with homemade strawberry fig jam! Delicious!
Randi says
Is it wine vinegar or just white vinegar? I clicked on you list that took me to amazon to buy vinegar and it was just white vinegar. I keep the regular white at all times but not the wine vinegar. PLEASE LET ME KNOW THANKS
The Bossy Kitchen says
White vinegar is ok to use, don’t worry about red vinegar. Use what you have, this is what my grandma would do too! 🙂
Randi says
THANK YOU SO MUCH for the answer. I have been searching for a recipe like this that looked goo. hehehe FOUND YOU 🙂
The Bossy Kitchen says
You are very welcome.
Kelsey De Jong says
Can I use a pie crust box mix?
Katie M. says
@Kelsey De Jong, Why not? I do all the time. Since I'm single, I use a box of Jiffy pie crust mix. I just made two mini-squash pies and used the leftover for "turnovers" (we call them "brambles").
Nela says
I look forward to trying these with some pie dough I have left over from a pie I made yesterday! As for the vinegar, I don’t know if this is Eastern European-specific, but I add vinegar to lots of my recipes simply because it adds some dimension to the flavor. American recipes tend to be one-dimensional: either all sweet, all salty, all savory. But adding just a touch of sour to this sweet recipe helps balance that flavor and make it less cloying, even though I realize that the sweetness is coming only from the jam and the sugar on top. Likewise, adding salt to sweet dishes is important for a balanced flavor profile, just like adding sweet to savory dishes — not always in the form of sugar… you can get your sweetness from, say, carrots or a sweet potato.
TLDR: balance.