Linzer Augen Linzer Eyes Aka Linzer Tarts Or Linzer Cookies Recipes

LINZER AUGEN (LINZER EYES AKA LINZER TARTS OR LINZER COOKIES)

Steps:

• Finely grind the almonds in a food processor, using short pulses. (It may help to put some of the granulated sugar you will be using in with the nuts as you are pulsing them. The sugar will absorb some of the oil that is produced helping to prevent it from becoming almond paste.).
• In a large bowl, beat the butter on high speed with an electric mixer until fluffy and pale. Add the granulated sugar and continue beating until combined. Reduce the speed to low. Add the egg yolk, lemon zest, vanilla and almond extracts and beat until blended.
• Sift together the flour, cinnamon and salt into another bowl. Add the ground almonds and stir to blend.
• Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low speed or stir with a spoon until blended. The dough should be soft.
• Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Divide the dough into four equal portions and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F Lightly grease 2 baking sheets or line with parchment paper.
• Remove 1 portion of the dough at a time from the refrigerator. Place dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper and roll out 1/4 inch thick.
• Using a cookie cutter or glass about 2 1/2 inches in diameter, cut out the cookies. Using a 1 1/4-inch cutter, cut a hole in the center of only half of the cookies.
• Repeat with the remaining portions of dough, then re-roll the dough scraps as needed to make 24 cutouts total, cutting holes in half of them.
• If the dough becomes sticky, wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze for 10 minutes before rolling out.
• Using a thin spatula, carefully transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are firm to the touch, about 12 minutes.
• Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks. Loosen the cookies with the spatula, but leave the cookies on the sheets until thoroughly cooled.
• To assemble, spread the solid cookies with a thin layer (about 1 tsp.) of preserves to within about 1/4 inch of the edges. Top the solid cookies with the cutout cookies.
• Dust the cookies generously with confectioners' sugar and fill the hole with more jam.

LINZER TARTS

Steps:

• For the Dough: cream softened butter with powdered sugar until well blended.
• Add the orange extract to the butter mixture and stir well to incorporate.
• Stir in the sifted flour one cup at a time, mixing well.
• Chill dough 2 or more hours before rolling.
• Fill with raspberry or apricot preserves or a mixture of the two.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Roll out dough on lightly floured board with floured rolling pin until about 1/4 inch thick.
• Cut with 2 inch round cutter (scalloped cutter is nice) and place on ungreased baking sheet.
• Cut out small center circle with 1 inch or smaller cutter in 1/2 of the cookies.
• (Reroll scraps as you go).
• Bake at 350°F for about 12 minutes, until pale golden and edges are starting to brown.
• Cool completely on a wire rack at least 1/2 hour.
• Place all the tops (with the inner circles cut out) close together on a sheet of waxed paper.
• Dust sifted powdered sugar thickly over the tops.
• Place the bottoms on another sheet of waxed paper.
• Spread 2 teaspoons preserves very carefully on each bottom cookie.
• Spread evenly leaving 1/4 inch rim without preserves around the edge.
• Spread the preserves without picking up the cookie; use a flat knife and work right on the waxed paper covered surface.
• Top each preserve covered bottom cookie with a sugared top cookie, lightly holding it at the edges.
• Carefully transfer to a serving plate.
• Do not try to stack or store these very long.
• The basic cookies could be packed and frozen, but the assembled cookies should be made the day they are to be served.
• PS the original recipe gave the above warning about stacking and storing, but I have made them at Christmas and stacked them between sheets of waxed paper in a tin with no problem.

LINZER TARTS

Steps:

• Beat butter and sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy. Stir in 1/2 cup flour, the ground almonds, and cinnamon. Mix in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until the mixture becomes a slightly stiff dough.
• Shape the dough into a ball; divide it in half. Wrap both halves in wax paper or plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about one hour.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough into a sheet 1/8 inch thick. With a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut as many circles from the sheet as you can. Knead the leftover scraps of dough into a ball and roll it out again into a 1/8 inch sheet. Cut out more circles. You should now have about 12 circles.
• Arrange cookies on prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch of space between them. Refrigerate while working with remaining dough.
• Repeat the rolling and cutting process with the other half of the dough, but after placing the second batch on the baking sheet, cut out the center of each circle with a 1/2 inch cookie cutter.
• Bake cookies in preheated oven until light brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes.
• Spread a thin coating of jam on each of the cookie rounds. Set a cutout cookie on top of each, pressing the two together so they make a sandwich. Spoon a dab of jam into the opening of each tart and sprinkle the tops with confectioners' sugar before serving.

LINZER TARTS

Steps:

• Cream butter, add sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
• Add dry ingredients and blend thoroughly.
• Chill for about 1/2 an hour.
• Roll out dough between 1/8 and 1/4 inch on a lightly floured surface.
• Cut half of the dough with flower cookie cutter, and the other half with the same cutter, but with centers removed.
• Bake each batch 6-10 minutes at 400 degrees, or until just golden brown.
• Spread preserves on whole cookies (bottoms), and top with cutouts.
• Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar until covered.

LINZER TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Beat margarine at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg and vanilla, beating until blended. Add flour, beating at low speed until blended.
• Roll dough into small balls and place on greased cookie sheets, two inches apart. Flatten dough balls with a flat-bottomed cup wrapped in a damp paper towel.
• Dip a thimble or small round cutter in flour and cut out a small circle in the center of exactly half of the cookies.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until set. (The cookies will be pale. The cut out halves will bake faster so watch closely.) Transfer carefully to wire racks to cool.
• Spread raspberry preserves on top of solid cookies. Top with remaining cookies, bottom sides down, to make sandwiches. Sift powdered sugar over tops of cookies.