Step 1

Cookies - To the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl and handheld electric mixer), add the butter, sugars, and beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Step 2

Add the eggs, vanilla, and beat to incorporate and until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Step 3

With the mixing running on low, slowly add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and beat to just incorporate - don't overmix. Dough Tips - Dough should be smooth enough to work with and form into balls and not overly sticky. If for some reason it's sticky, add 1-3 tablespoons flour, 1 tbsp at a time. I don't foresee this to be necessary but if you need this option, now you know what to do.

Step 4

Divide the dough into 12 equal sized mounds, roll into balls between your palms, and flatted each about halfway into discs.

Step 5

Place the discs on a clean countertop or work surface, and add a dollop (about 1 heaping tablespoon) of cherry preserves or jam to the center of each, and fold the edges into the center to completely enclose the preserves or jam. Tip - It's very important to seal well because you don't want the jam to leak out while baking because not only will it make a mess, it'll be prone to burning.

Step 6

Chilling - Place the 12 stuffed dough balls into the fridge and chill for 30 minutes. Do not skip this step or try to game the system and do it in the freezer because they can actually get overly cold.

Step 7

While the dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 350F, and line 1 or 2 baking sheets with Silpat baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.

Step 8

After the dough has chilled, place the mounds of dough on the baking sheet(s), evenly spaced. Spacing Tips - These are pretty big cookies and I wouldn't be surprised if you can only fit 6-8 per baking sheet, even if you're using half sheet pans. It's better to use 2 sheets than crowd onto 1.

Step 9

Baking - Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the tops are mostly set even if a little glossy. Baking Tips - I tend to pull cookies when they're a bit underdone looking on top because they do firm up as they cool. However, everyone's preferences are different so bake as long as you like and for as long as is necessary in your oven since all ovens, climates, baking sheets, etc. vary. I always rotate my baking sheets once midway through baking. And I prefer to bake 1 sheet of cookies at a time because the sheet on the bottom never turns out as nice as the sheet on top, but it's up to you.

Step 10

Cooling - Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes. Make sure they're sufficiently cooled if you're glazing them or it'll just melt and turn into a mess.

Step 11

Glaze (optional but recommended) - To a medium bowl, add all the ingredients (except sprinkles), whisk to combine, and if necessary add a bit more sugar/milk to thicken or thin out the glaze, as desired.

Step 12

Using a small spoon, drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies.

Step 13

If desired, add sprinkles to the top of each cookie before the glaze sets. Wait about 15 minutes, or until the glaze has set fully before enjoying (or sooner if you don't care about a bit of messiness).