Ingredients: |
Ingredients: The cookie batter:
2 1/2 sticks of lightly salted butter
3/4 C granulated sugar
2 1/3C all purpose flour, plus additional flour to roll the cookies
1/2 C slivered almond's , ground
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 C seedless raspberry or homemade strawberry jelly
powdered sugar optional
Icing: 1/2 C powdered sugar,
2 tbsp. Rum or Vanilla extract
1/4 C almond's finely chopped
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Directions: |
Directions:For the cookie batter: With an electric mixer or food processor, whip the butter until smooth, add sugar and continue mixing until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, 5-8 minutes.
In another bowl, combine and mix the flour, almonds, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Mix and roll the cookies: Because this dough has a large amount of butter, it needs resting time and needs to be rolled fairly quickly. Lay 3 large pieces of wax paper in a single layer on a flat surface. Sprinkle each with a light coating of flour. Remove the bowl from the mixer and using a rubber spatula, blend the flour in the to the mixture with the butter, when the ingredient's are fully integrated, place 1/3 of the batter on each of the 3 sheets of wax paper, coat with another light layer of flour and place another piece of wax paper the same size as the bottom sheet over the dough to make 3 "dough" sandwiches. PRESS THESE WAX PAPER AND DOUGH SANDWICHES DOWN WITH YOUR HANDS UNTIL THE DOUGH IS FAIRLY THIN. This will save a lot of time on rolling latter on. Place 2 of them in the refrigerator and work with them one at time. Roll the first batch into as neat a shape as possible . What matters most is avoiding creases or cracks and getting it to about 1/8 " thickness. When the first is rolled, refrigerate it and repeat the same process for the other 2. Let them chill at least 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove the first rolled sheet and cut as many 1 1/2 inch hearts or rounds as possible. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for 15 minutes before baking. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Repeat for second "dough /wax paper sandwich", cut out the larger round or heart, then use the smaller cutout to make a smaller cookie cutout inside the larger cutout. Remove the center cut out dough carefully leaving the cutout larger version on the pan, refrigerate and then bake 15 minutes. Repeat the process with the third sheet and make sure you have the same number of " tops (cut out) and bottoms", whole. After the baked cookies have cooled, place the jelly in a pot an simmer until warmed. Place 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. of jelly on the bottoms and place the cutout tops on the top creating a sandwich cookie with a jelly window. Then dust with powdered sugar or make icing as follows:
In a bowl, whisk together icing sugar and rum, brush over cookies with cutout and sprinkle with finely chopped almonds. |
Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: Special equipment: 2 heart shaped or round cookie cutters, one about 1 1/2 inches and one about 3/4 inches
Part of my Christmas cookie collection, I have been told by many this is the best !! It is also the most time consuming and hardest to make (but worth it <3). If you choose to do Icing: assemble the cookies after icing and nut sprinkle.
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This recipe for Linzer Sandwich Cookies is from