Apple cookies

280 g or 2 cups Gusto Flaky Pastry Mix Flour

170 g or 3/4 cup cold salted butter

100 g or 1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for tops

34 g or 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Freshly grated orange, lime or lemon zest 1-2 tsp, (optional)

1/2 tsp pure almond extract (optional)

Filling options:

Cooked and finely diced apples. Recipe here.
Preserves
Chunky Fruit compote/jam (peach, apricot or apple) & chopped nuts or shredded coconut
Chocolate nut spread with toasted nuts added in
Almond cream
Peanut butter & chocolate chips
Peanut butter & jelly

Cube the cold butter and place in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.
The dough can also be made by hand in a bowl using a wooden spoon, but I suggest using slightly softer butter instead.
Using the paddle attachment blend the butter & sugars until thoroughly combined. Don’t overbeat butter and sugar, beat just enough to mix.
Add the flour and mixing on medium low speed allow the mix to form wet clumps.
Mixture is crumbly at first and then magically forms a dough. Finish off by hand by gently bringing the clumps together into a ball.
Turn onto a floured surface and roll immediately and cut rounds, or chill for at least 30 minutes. (I personally like to roll at once on a piece of parchment if sticking and a piece of plastic wrap on top.
Roll thinly, about 1/4” or less, cut out rounds of desired size (I usually do 2”) and place about a teaspoon of filling in center, depending on size of rounds.
Brush the edges with water and place another circle on top. Press dough together around edges to seal.
Chili for at least an hour. Brush with water or milk & sprinkle with granulated sugar.
Lay cookie rounds on a parchment lined cookie sheet, not too close together. Sprinkle top with sugar. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 14-18 minutes until brown on the edges. (Baking time will vary depending on thickness of dough and fillings.)
Cool completely.

Notes:

You can use unsalted butter but be sure to add 1/2 tsp salt to the flour
The trick to this dough not spreading into a pool when baked is to not overbeat the butter. There’s no creaming butter and sugar here until “light & fluffy”. Simply soften enough to combine with the sugar before adding the flour.