Mix together:
1/2 pint (or 1 dry measuring cup) sour cream
1 Tbsp sugar
1 packet regular yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp)
Mix until just combined and set aside.
Place 5 cups all purpose flour in a large bowl.
Cut in 1 lb butter (4 sticks) as you would for a pie crust. Cut in butter until it looks like crumbs no larger than a pea. This recipe only works with butter.
Once your dough looks like crumbs, add the sour cream mixture AND:
3 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
Mix this all together (I use my hands) until all ingredients are incorporated. It will be a stiff dough. Divide into 5 equal balls and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. (I put each ball in a ziploc and press it flat so it looks like a disc. Much easier to roll out.)
*Pull your dough an hour before you want to work with it so it is pliable.
*I use Solo fillings because they have a lot of fruit and are thicker. Also, using a piping bag for your fillings will save you a lot of hassle.
Dust your work space with granulated sugar. Just sugar, no flour. Roll out the dough to 1/8-1/4 inch thickness. Make sure to flip the dough as you roll so that sugar is on both sides. I use a square cookie cutter, but you can freehand the squares to about 2×2 inches or a little larger.
Place a thin line (1/2 tsp) of filling diagonally on the square of dough. Fold over and pin with a toothpick so they don’t come apart. I would suggest baking just a few first to get the hang of it.
Place on ungreased cookie sheet. These will rise a bit in the oven. Bake at 350*F for 15 minutes or until the tops are barely golden. Be careful not to overbake or burn the bottoms.
Let cool. Remove toothpick. Dust with powdered sugar.
Cookies filled with fruit will get soggy if stored for more than a few days in an airtight container. I recommend storing in a paper bakery box.
By Veselé Vianoce
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