So why, out of the blue, would I publish the very special Linzer Hearts recipe in the middle of September with nary a holiday beckoning? As it happens, my niece Christy is being married on October 8, and my insane sister-in-law is making cookies for the reception. As if there won't be enough sugar shock for everyone to imbibe. But they are pretty, they are festive, they are amazingly delicious. And they are a pain in the butt to make, since they require assembly. Hence, the cookies must be made in advance. Not a recipe to leave for the last minute when wedding nerves are jangling.
One small note: If you don't want a lemony cookie, then omit the lemon zest and juice altogether, and substitute a large pinch of cinnamon and a large pinch of either mace or nutmeg for a slightly spicy cookie. Cinnamon and raspberry play very nicely together. Or just go with a vanilla-y cookie, or substitute half the vanilla extract for almond extract for a refined variation.
LINZER HEARTS
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 large pinch salt
2 teaspoons vanilla sugar
zest and juice of half a lemon
1 2/3 cups flour
seedless raspberry jam (Dickinson’s is the best)
powdered sugar
Preparation
Cream butter and sugar on medium high speed of a stand mixer until fluffy. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the jam and powdered sugar) and beat well. Let the dough rest for about 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Roll out the dough to about the thickness of a dime. With a heart shaped or round cutter, cut out an even number of cookies. Half of the cookies (these will be the tops) will have the center cut out with a small cutter: i.e. a heart, or small circle,or some other shape. Place cookies on parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake at (400F) in preheated oven for 3 to 6 minutes. They should be a very pale golden color.
Once the cookies are completely cooled, dust the tops with powdered sugar from a shaker or a fine sieve. Spread a thin layer of jam onto the bottom halves, and press the 2 parts together.
30 to 36 cookies.
(We triple or quadruple the recipe for holiday baking).
Make ahead note: Cookies can be baked in advance and frozen prior to assembly. Defrost a day or two before your occasion, and dust the tops with powdered sugar. Spread the bottoms with jam and press together with a top.
------OR------
A more authentic recipe, with almonds in the cookie:
Thank you, King Arthur Flour!
RECIPE II
Linzer Cookies |
AT A GLANCE
- PREP
- 25 mins.
- BAKE
- 8 mins. to 10 mins.
- TOTAL
- 2 hrs 35 mins.
- YIELD
- 24 cookies
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- grated rind (zest) of 1 lemon, or a large pinch of ground cinnamon
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- raspberry jam for filling
- confectioners' sugar or glazing sugar, for dusting
Directions
- To make the dough: Beat the butter, sugar, and zest until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed, about 3 minutes. Add the yolk and vanilla and beat until combined.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, almond flour, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix until just combined. Don't over-beat.
- Divide the dough in half, and pat each half into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
- To assemble: On a lightly floured surface, roll one disc of dough out about 1/4"-thick. Using a 2 1/2" round cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Transfer rounds to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gather the scrap dough, roll, and repeat. Place the cut cookies in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- While the first half of cookies is chilling, cut rounds from the remaining dough. Once you've transferred these cookies to a baking sheet, use your smallest cookie cutter or the end of a round piping tip to make a peekaboo cutout in the center of each. Place cookies in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill.
- To bake: Bake all of the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn brown. Let them cool for 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- To fill the cookies: Place the cookies with the holes in them on a cookie sheet and sift confectioners' sugar over the top. Turn the remaining cookies flat side up and spoon jam into the center, spreading it slightly. Top with the sugar-dusted cookies.
Be sure to double this recipe -- they don't last!
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