Sugar Cookies with a Spiced Sweet Potato Filling

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar and salt until white and creamy. Add the seeds from the vanilla pod (or extract) and then the flour. Mix until the dough looks grainy. Add the egg and beat until the dough comes together. Put in a bowl, cover and let rest in the fridge while preparing the filling.

Cook the sweet potato in the oven (30 minutes) or in the microwave (8-10 minutes). Scrape the inside into a blender; add the honey, cinnamon and salt. Pulse for just a few seconds to get rid of any fibers from the sweet potato.

Pour the mixture in a bowl and add the lemon zest and mix in the quick oats, which will give the filling a little more body.

Now, take your you cookie dough and on a well-floured surface, work it gently for a couple of minutes, just enough to it some strength.

Roll it down to about 4 mm thickness, turning it often with the help of your rolling pin (just to make sure it’s not sticking to the working table). Start cutting out circles with a 6 cm cookie cutter (or any other size or shape you fancy!). Drop a little coffee spoonful of filling on half the circles and lay the other half of the circles over them to cover. Seal the edges by pressing. I went over them again with the cookie cutter, just to make each cookie look neater.

Place on a non-stick cookie sheet, brush with a little bit of milk and optionally, you can sprinkle with a little bit of granulated sugar.

Bake for 16 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius, or until the edges just start to brown. Give it a good sprinkling of powdered sugar and serve with a hot cup of coffee.