Friday, February 25, 2011

Linzer Heart Sandwich Cookies


1 1/2 cup butter (softened)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/3 cups very finely ground almonds
3 1/3 cups unsifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 oz raspberry jam
confectioners sugar

Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy: beat in egg, egg yolk, lemon rind and vanilla: stir in nuts. Stir in flour, baking powder and cinnamon, blending well to make a stiff dough: wrap in wax paper: chill several hours or overnight.
Cut dough in half. Refrigerate other half. Roll out dough between sheets of wax paper to slightly less than1/4 inch thickness. Remove top sheet of wax paper. With a 2 inch heart cookie cutter cut out as many hearts from the dough as you can. Carefully remove hearts from bottom of wax paper. Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheets. Refrigerate scraps of dough for second rolling. Repeat with other half of dough., cutting out an equal number of cookies from the first batch. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, cut out center of each of the second batch of cookies. Repeat with scraps of dough. Make sure you have equal amounts of tops and bottoms of cookies. Bake in 350 degree oven for approximately 5-7 minutes until edges of cookies are golden depending on your ovens heat. Let cookies stay on sheet 1 minute before moving to wire racks. Cool.
Heat raspberry jam in a small saucepan.Spread each of the solid cookies with thick layer of hot jam. Top each with a cut-out cookie: press gently together. Place on wire rack and sprinkle tops of cookies with confectioners sugar. Spoon dab of jam in opening of each cookie. Let preserves set slightly. Makes 4 dozen cookies. Enjoy

P.S. Make this recipe in stages by making dough a day ahead. This is an all time favorite cookie for holidays it's surprisingly a light, delicate tasting cookie considering the ingredients. This recipe comes from White House pastry chef Albert Kumin and was printed in the 1979 Family Circle Magazine

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