Linzer Cookies with 3 Jams

Oh my goodness, how I love these cookies!! They have been in my recipe repertoire for many years, and are so much fun to make during the holidays or really anytime of the year!! I love how the almond flour gives them a nutty, rich denseness and also really like how you can choose how much sweetness they have by how much you dust them with the powdered sugar. One of the best things about this cookie is that you can choose any kind of jam or marmalade with which to fill them!!  I recently received some of the most flavorful and unique tastes in jams from foodlyn.com  I chose 3 different jams for the fillings: blueberry lime, strawberry balsamic and an apple conserve!! I have to say that they really took this cookie over the top in it’s unique and incredibly rich flavor. It’s such a fun way to present a dessert that is truly different and special for your family and friends!!


Linzer Cookies with 3 Jams

Makes: About a dozen sandwich cookies Prep time: 2 hours including chilling Bake time: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients

1 and 1/4 cups unsalted butter at room temperature

1 teaspoon best quality vanilla extract

2/3 cups granulated sugar

2 cups all purpose flour plus more for dusting your board

1 and 3/4 cups almond flour, I use Bob’s Red Mill

about 1/2 -3/4 cup jam or marmalade ( I use Foodlyn’s jams – see the link in the intro)

confectioners sugar for dusting the tops

Directions

Beat butter, vanilla, and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Stir in a cup of the flour and all of the the almond flour, and beat until incorporated.  Add the last cup of flour until the dough comes together in a ball and is not sticky anymore.  If it feels very sticky, you can add a tablespoon or more of flour.  Separate the dough into two pieces and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for at least an hour, or until the dough is nice and chilled.  Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.  On a well floured surface, roll one of the pieces of dough until it’s about 1/4 inch thick, (if you roll it too thin, it will be hard to get off your board).  You can choose whatever cookie cutter shape you like, but the traditional cookie uses a round cutter as the bottom piece, and the top using the same shape, but with a smaller round cut out of the middle so the jam shows through, (see pictures above).  I used a 2 and 1/2 inch cutter for the bottoms, and about an inch cutter for the center of the tops.  Place your bottom pieces on one of  your prepared cookie sheets.  Place them about an inch apart on your baking sheet.  Roll the second disk of dough out on your floured surface,  and cut the centers out of each round.  You will probably need a spatula to place them on your second baking sheet.  Place both trays in the fridge for about 15 minutes before you bake them, as this will prevent spreading while baking.  Bake the cookies in your preheated oven for about 5 minutes, then rotate your pans.  Bake for another 5-7 minutes until very lightly golden brown but not overdone.  Remember the tops with the holes in them will bake more quickly, so keep an eye on them.  Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then remove the cookies to baking racks.  Cool completely before spooning the jam on the bottom pieces.  You will use about a tablespoon of jam on the bottom center of each cookie.  Before placing the tops of the cookies on the jam filled bottoms, dust them generously with powdered sugar.  Place the dusted tops on the jam filled bottoms and press down lightly to form a sandwich cookie.  To store them, place them in an airtight container with wax paper lined between the layers.  You can also freeze them in airtight containers for up to a month.

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