Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp almond extract
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• approx 1/2 cup red jam (raspberry/strawberry)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and extracts.

2. Add flour and salt to the bowl and mix them into the butter-sugar mixture at low speed until dough is just combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 325F.

4. Divide dough in half and keep the portion you are not using in the refrigerator.

5. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface until it is about 1/8-inch thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut out 2-inch rounds.

6. Place rounds on a baking sheet, put a teaspoon of jam on each of them and cover with another round of dough. Press edges down lightly, pinching the edges onto the cookie sheet. Use a toothpick and poke two small holes (like a vampire bite) in the top of each cookie.

7. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are set.

8. Cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

9. Dip a toothpick in some extra red jam and re-insert in the “bite” holes you made before baking to emphasize them, if not already red. Draw a blood trick down from one of the bites with the jam, if desired.

10. Cookies are best the day they are made.

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