An old-fashioned heirloom cookie recipe for molasses cookie sandwiches filled with raspberry jam.
JUMP TO RECIPEEvery year around Christmas, my Canadian husband will inevitably ask me the same question: Do you know how to make Jim Jams?
And every year I tell him that I do not. That I have never seen or heard of them and ye ol’ internets fail to provide me with information on them year after year.
Then he gets this far-off look in his eyes and tells me stories of these cookies his mom always made around Christmas. How she would hide them in the freezer to keep him and his siblings out of them. How he and his brother would sneak down to the cellar and eat them anyway. How they were filled with raspberry jam. How he loved them.
When I’d ask his mom how to make them (and her famous Taffy Tarts, aka Butter Tarts) she would explain how in that Silent Generation way which usually went something like, “Oh, it’s just some of this and that and you just keep adding flour until it looks right.”
In her defense, she would happily have cooked some with me any time over the years but when we get to visit we’re usually too busy catching up and getting into the wine to exact and document family recipes.
She showed me and my sister-in-law how to make her Taffy Tarts one year but we got to having too much fun to properly record the measurements and baking times and I still can’t tell you how to make them.
So anyway, Husband’s Aunt Mary posted a photo of another old-fashioned looking recipe on FB last week and I thought I’d just take the chance and ask about the Jim Jams and Aunt Mary actually had the recipe written on an old recipe card!!
YEAHHHH!!! Oh, Canada!! It’s not every day you can find an actual, original family recipe written with measurements and instructions!
I made them the very same day. I had absolutely no idea what they were even supposed to look like, much less how they were supposed to taste but I thought, Screw it, I gotta try!
Husband approved and was tickled I made them but I still didn’t know if I made them right. Seriously, imagine trying to cook something you’ve never seen or tasted. I didn’t know how much jam to use, how thick or wide to make the cookies, if they were supposed to be crispy or doughy… nothing! I was totally flying blind.
But then I got my sweet relief the next day because Aunt Mary decided to make some too! When she posted a photo on FB they looked exactly like mine!! The dusting of powdered sugar was my own little spin, but otherwise they were dead ringers!
NOTES ABOUT JIM JAM COOKIES:
This is NOT a sugar bomb cookie so when you taste them don’t expect the same throat-punch of sweetness you get from most modern cookie recipes. Think of this as something to enjoy with hot tea. While cuddled up in a warm blanket. In front of a cozy fire. In Canada.
Don’t eat the cookies the first day. I did and was somewhat disappointed. I actually thought, Well, what the hell’s the big deal about these? The cookies will soften overnight and become cake-like which is when they’re at their best!
It’s been 8 days since I made this batch and they are STILL lovely without any staleness or wonky these-have-passed-their-peak taste. This is helpful to know when planning your Christmas baking. Note to self: Make the Jim Jams first next year because they have a marvelous shelf-life.
Evidently these can be frozen because Husband says so but I can’t personally attest to it or tell you for how long. I’d guess no longer than 3 months.
MORE OLD-SCHOOL SWEET TREATS PERFECT FOR CHRISTMAS BAKING
The Very BEST Thumbprint Cookies - A tried-and-true family recipe with the perfect cookie dough base filled with fruit jam or preserves.
Coconut Macaroon Kisses - A tender and light, yet rich and dreamy recipe for chewy coconut cookies topped with Hershey’s Kiss chocolate drops.
White Chocolate Trash - A sweet and salty snack mix made with chex cereal, pretzels, peanuts and M&M’s coated with white chocolate perfect for Christmas, other holidays or just for a sweet treat (also called Christmas Crack)!
Easy German Chocolate Fudge - A simple, fool-proof recipe for chocolate fudge layered with coconut pecan German chocolate filling made easy with sweetened condensed milk.
Butterscotch Crunch Cookies - An old-fashioned cookie recipe with brown sugar and toffee bits for double the butterscotch flavor and toasted pecans for crunch.
Recipe for Jim Jams Cookies
Jim Jams
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 cups flour
- Raspberry jam
- Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray lightly with cooking spray.
- Beat butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Add eggs, molasses, vanilla, baking soda and salt then continue mixing until well combined.
- Mix in flour, one cup at a time, until dough pulls away from the bowl and is no longer sticky. See notes below.
- Liberally flour a clean countertop or other work surface.
- Roll and cut the dough in two batches. Remove half of the dough then, using your hands, shape it into a disc (think large hockey puck).
- Place the dough disk onto the floured work surface then sprinkle with more flour. Roll dough approximately 1/4 inch thick.
- Using a biscuit cutter or cookie cutter cut dough into circles (I used a 3-inch biscuit cutter).
- Place cookies onto prepared cookie sheets at least one inch apart then bake at 350 degrees for approximately 10 minutes or until cookies are just starting to brown on the bottom.
- Let cookies cool in pan 10 minutes then remove to a clean surface.
- Repeat until all cookies are baked.
- Cool cookies completely then assemble Jim Jams by spreading jam on the back side of one cookie then topping with another to make a “sandwich”.
- If desired, sprinkle Jim Jams with a light dusting of powdered sugar.
- Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Notes
The amount of flour needed has a lot to do with how you measure it. If you scoop the flour with your measuring cup, thus really packing it in, you will likely need less flour. If you spoon the flour in then level with a knife (the method recommended by bakers), you will likely need more. The goal is to have a consistency that is dry enough to roll and work with without being too stiff.
The cookies get better the longer they set. The first day, the cookies will still be crisp which makes them hard to eat. Once the cookies become softer and more cake-like they are at their best!
Feel free to use any jam or preserves in these!
The jam is easier to spread if you stir it vigorously to make it smoother.
Light brown sugar can be used but dark brown sugar has more molasses flavor.
Interesting. I've never heard of Jim Jams, but I have heard of Jam Jams (it's a Newfoundland thing.) You get a ton of stuff if you search for that. :)
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of them either, but I'm glad you finally got your hands on the recipe. I am sure your husband is in heaven!
ReplyDelete