Linzer Cookies
 
 
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 2 dozen
Ingredients
  • 2¼ cups flour
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ cup slivered almonds
  • ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract
  • 8 oz. whatever filling you choose – apricot, rasberry jam – etc
Instructions
  1. In a food processor, grind almonds with brown sugar until finely ground, set aside.
  2. In a stand mixer, beat butter and powdered sugar on low speed until combined. Then, increase speed to medium high and whip for at least 1 minute. Mix in egg, and then add vanilla and almond extract. Mix in almond/brown sugar mixture.
  3. Add cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Slowly add flour on low speed. Mix just until combined. Form dough into a ball and place on plastic wrap. Flatten to make a 6 inch disc and completely cover in plastic wrap. Place in fridge for 2-3 hours to overnight. (You can also freeze the dough at this point and just move back to thaw in fridge.)
  4. Pre-heat oven to 350. Cut dough in half and even roll out to ⅛ to ⅙ inch thickness on a floured surface. Using a linzer cookie cutter, cut out 24 full flat bottoms of the cookies. Try to cut as close as possible. You may need to gather dough and re-roll out to cut additional cookies. Once you cut out all the bottoms, you will do the same steps with the remaining dough for the tops. Just insert whatever center shape you want in your cookie cutter (I chose just the basic circle). Cut all tops of cookies.
  5. Place cookies on parchment lined baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are very lightly golden. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
  6. Once cooled, spread jelly on all bottoms of the cookies. Lay all the tops on wax paper. Dust the tops of the cookies with powdered sugar using a handheld wire mesh strainer. Place tops of cookies on top of filled bases. Store in an airtight container.
Recipe by Sweet Dash of Sass at http://sweetdashofsass.com/2014/12/linzer-cookies/