Use firm block cream cheese and fine cornmeal; extra cheese water or coarse grains can make wells tear and spread.
Eggless cream-cheese cornmeal shortbread thumbprints with compact red jam centers. Shortbread-inspired cream-cheese pastry, not a claim of traditional Scottish shortbread.
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Cream-Cheese Cornmeal Shortbread with Jam Centers Recipe
Follow the tray sizes, portions and baking intervals in the instructions below.
Total time includes hands-on preparation, required chilling or resting, whole-batch cooking, cooling and finishing.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- mixing bowl
- mixer
- kitchen scale
- two 13 x 18-inch half sheets
- parchment
- fork
- wide spatula
- cooling rack
Ingredients
US measures are approximate. Gram weights help keep portions consistent; spice weights vary with density.
Instructions
Mix the dough
- Mix the dough: Beat butter, block cream cheese and sugar just until smooth. Add flour, fine cornmeal and salt and mix until cohesive. This dough has neither egg nor chemical leavener; do not use soft tub cheese.
Shape and chill
- Shape and chill: Divide dough into 24 portions, about 15 g each. Roll lightly, flatten to 1 3/4 inches wide and 3/8 inch thick, and make a 1/2-inch-wide well. Repair cracks and add about 1/2 tsp jam to each. Chill 45 minutes.
Bake the whole batch
- Bake the whole batch: Heat oven to 325°F (165°C) conventional or 300°F (150°C) fan. Use two parchment-lined 13 x 18-inch half sheets, 12 cookies per sheet, spaced at least 1 inch apart. Bake one tray at a time on the middle rack for 18–22 minutes, turning front to back halfway; keep the waiting tray refrigerated. Edges and bases should be pale gold and the centers dry. Whole-batch oven time is 44 minutes for both trays.
Cool the cookies
- Cool the cookies: Rest 10 minutes on each tray, then cool 20 minutes on a rack before packing; the 30-minute cooling allowance includes the tray rest.
Timing and scaling
- Timing and scaling: 25 min hands-on + 45 min required chill/rest + 44 min whole-batch oven baking + 30 min cooling/setting = 144 min. Cooling includes tray/pan rests and runs from the final tray; earlier-tray cooling may overlap later baking. Ingredient warm-up and frozen-dough thawing are extra; preheat during shaping/chilling. Scale ingredients and US equivalents, not oven temperature, piece sizes or per-tray bake time; extra trays extend the whole-batch time.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Ingredient science
Block cream cheese changes fat and water balance in an eggless pastry, while cornmeal replaces part of the wheat structure.
Technique & texture
Use firm block cream cheese and fine cornmeal; extra cheese water or coarse grains can make wells tear and spread.
Finishing & serving
The centers must be cold before packing; jam softens the shell over time, so use filled cookies within 2 days.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | 2 days | Up to 2 days. Seal fully cooled filled cookies airtight in a cool dry room. Separate layers with parchment; the filling gradually softens the crumb. |
| Refrigeration | up to 7 days | Unnecessary; up to 7 days if needed. Baked refrigeration is unnecessary for this formula; use only if the room is warm. Seal airtight to prevent condensation and odors. |
| Raw freezing | 1 month | Up to 1 month. Freeze the unfilled dough tightly wrapped. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then shape and complete the stated chill. Prepare the filling fresh. Thawing time is additional. |
| Baked freezing | 2 months | Up to 2 months. Freeze completely cooled cookies airtight with parchment between layers. Thaw sealed at room temperature for 1–2 hours. |
| Restoring | As described | Serve after thawing. Do not oven-refresh the assembled or coated cookies. Serve once thawed; reseal unused portions. |
Notes
- Scale ingredients, including US measures, without changing cookie size or oven temperature. Extra trays increase whole-batch time.
Nutrition
Approximate values per portion from the listed ingredient weights divided into 24 equal portions. Includes required fillings and finishes. Brands, unused coatings and actual portion size affect the estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a leavened cream-cheese cake cookie?
Block cream cheese changes fat and water balance in an eggless pastry, while cornmeal replaces part of the wheat structure.
Why do the wells tear?
Use firm block cream cheese and fine cornmeal; extra cheese water or coarse grains can make wells tear and spread.
Do jam centers affect storage?
The centers must be cold before packing; jam softens the shell over time, so use filled cookies within 2 days.
