4. Bake
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
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Bake cookies for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are pale golden but not browned.
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Allow to cool on the sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
🍫 5. Prepare Chocolate Filling (If Using)
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Melt chocolate chips with cream/butter in the microwave in 15-second intervals.
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Stir until smooth and glossy.
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Spoon into the center of each cooled cookie.
Chocolate will set firm at room temperature within 20–30 minutes.
⭐ TIPS FOR PERFECT SWIRL COOKIES
✔ Use very soft butter, not melted
Creamy butter makes the dough smooth and easy to stamp.
✔ Chill the dough briefly
This prevents pattern distortion.
✔ Dust your stamp with flour
Press lightly into flour, tap off excess, then stamp—patterns stay crisp.
✔ Don’t overbake
The cookies should stay pale for that melt-in-your-mouth shortbread texture.
✔ Use thick jam
Runny jam will leak. Raspberry and strawberry work best.
🍓 VARIATIONS
1. Almond Swirl Cookies
Replace vanilla with almond extract and fill with apricot jam.
2. Chocolate Hazelnut Version
Fill centers with Nutella or chocolate hazelnut spread.
3. Lemon Burst Version
Add 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest to dough and fill with lemon curd.
4. Vanilla Bean
Use 1 teaspoon vanilla paste for extra gourmet flavor.
🎁 PERFECT FOR GIFTING
These cookies stack well, don’t crumble, and keep their elegant stamped pattern.
Package in tins or clear bags with ribbons — bakery-style!
🧊 STORAGE
Room Temperature
Keep in an airtight container up to 7 days.
Freezer
Freeze unfilled cookies up to 3 months.
Add jam or chocolate after thawing.
❤️ FINAL NOTES
These swirl-stamped cookies look like they came from an artisan bakery, but the ingredients are simple and the dough is unbelievably forgiving. Each cookie comes out uniform, elegant, and delicious. Whether filled with bright jam or silky chocolate, they are guaranteed to impress at holiday gatherings, cookie exchanges, or afternoon tea.
