Nana's Butter Cookies with Milk-Jam Filling

Delicate butter cookies sandwiched with a rich homemade milk jam filling. These traditional sandwich cookies feature a beautiful cut-out design and are finished with a dusting of powdered sugar.

24 servings

3 hr 15 min

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•1½ cups unsalted butter
•⅔ cup powdered sugar
•2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•2 tablespoons whole milk
•2 teaspoons kosher salt
•2½ cups all-purpose flour
•1 large egg
•1 quart milk
•¾ teaspoon baking soda
•½ whole vanilla bean
•to taste powdered sugar

Cooking Instructions

1.
Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low; add milk, salt, and 2 1/2 cups flour and mix just to combine. Form dough into a 1/2"-thick disk and wrap in plastic. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
60 min
2.
Let dough sit at room temperature to soften slightly, about 5 minutes. Roll dough out between 2 sheets of parchment paper until about 1/8" thick. Cut out rounds with a floured 2 1/2"-diameter cookie cutter. Cut out a circle in half of the rounds with a 3/4"-diameter cookie cutter and transfer to 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1" apart.
15 min
3.
Whisk egg and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl and brush tops of cookies with egg wash. Bake cookies, rotating halfway through, until golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks and let cookies cool.
15 min
4.
Combine milk, sugar, and baking soda in a large saucepan; scrape in vanilla seeds and add pod. Bring just to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, until mixture is reduced to about 1 1/4 cups (it will darken and separate, with little bits visible), 80-90 minutes. Strain milk jam through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl and let cool.
90 min
5.
Spoon a small amount of milk jam onto flat side of a cookie without a hole and sandwich with a cookie with a hole. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.
15 min

Cooking Instructions

Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low; add milk, salt, and 2 1/2 cups flour and mix just to combine. Form dough into a 1/2"-thick disk and wrap in plastic. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour.

60 min

Let dough sit at room temperature to soften slightly, about 5 minutes. Roll dough out between 2 sheets of parchment paper until about 1/8" thick. Cut out rounds with a floured 2 1/2"-diameter cookie cutter. Cut out a circle in half of the rounds with a 3/4"-diameter cookie cutter and transfer to 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1" apart.

15 min

Whisk egg and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl and brush tops of cookies with egg wash. Bake cookies, rotating halfway through, until golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks and let cookies cool.

15 min

Combine milk, sugar, and baking soda in a large saucepan; scrape in vanilla seeds and add pod. Bring just to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, until mixture is reduced to about 1 1/4 cups (it will darken and separate, with little bits visible), 80-90 minutes. Strain milk jam through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl and let cool.

90 min

Spoon a small amount of milk jam onto flat side of a cookie without a hole and sandwich with a cookie with a hole. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

15 min