The perfect Valentine's Day treats; Raspberry-Almond Linzer Cookies are made by Cathy Reppert, Cake Artist of Truly Scrumptious in Kingston.
Ingredients: Makes 36 cookies
2/3 cup almonds
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teasp. baking powder
1/2 teasp. salt
1/4 teasp. ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 large egg
1 teasp. pure vanilla extract
For Filling:
1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar
1 12-ounce jar raspberry jam
use heart-shaped cookie cutters if you would like heart-shaped cookies.
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast, tossing occasionally until fragrant, 6-8 minutes; let cool.
In a food processor, process the almonds and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar until the almonds are finely ground.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar on medium high-speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the almond mixture, then the flour mixture, mixing until just combined ( do not over mix).
Divide the dough in half, shape into 2 disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough to a 1/8 inch thickness. Using a 2-2 1/2 round cookie cutter, cut the dough into rounds and place on parchment lined baking sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart. Using a 3/4 to 1 inch round cookie cutter cut out centers from half of the cookies. Re-roll and cut the scraps as necessary.
Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the edges are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Sprinkle the confectioner's sugar on the cookies with the holes. Spread 1 teaspoon of jam on the remaining cookies and top with the sugared cookies. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.