Raspberry Almond Linzer Cookies Recipes

RASPBERRY-ALMOND LINZER COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Spread almonds on a small rimmed baking sheet and bake until fragrantly toasty and nuts are golden on the inside (cut one open). Turn off oven. Cool almonds completely (you can speed this up by putting them in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes).
• Grind nuts with 1/2 cup of flour from cookie recipe in a food processor until finely ground, then transfer to a medium bowl. Whisk in remaining 1 1/2 cups flour from recipe and whisk in cinnamon.
• Follow the rest of the Buttery Sugar Cookie dough recipe to make the Linzer dough. Divide dough in half, and wrap each half in wax paper, shaping each half into a flattened rectangle, then store each in a resealable plastic bag. Chill dough until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Heat oven again to 350°F with rack in middle. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• While oven heats, roll out 1 piece of dough (keep remaining dough chilled) between two large sheets of wax paper to 1/8 inch thick. (If dough becomes too soft to roll out, quick-chill on a baking sheet in the freezer or chill in the refrigerator until firm.)
• Peel back top sheet of wax paper and cut out as many 3-inch cookies with cutter as possible. Then cut 1-inch openings in the center of half the cookies. Transfer cookies, as cut, to a lined baking sheet, arranging them 1 inch apart. (If dough becomes too soft to remove the cookies, quick-chill the dough in freezer or chill in refrigerator again on a baking sheet.)
• Gather, reroll, and chill scraps to form more cookies.
• Freeze or chill cut-out cookies on baking sheet until firm before baking.
• Bake cookies, one sheet at time, until edges are golden, 6 to 9 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheet 2 minutes. Transfer cookies with a metal spatula to a rack to cool completely.
• Repeat with remaining piece of dough. (Cool sheets and use fresh parchment for subsequent batches.)
• Spread about 1 teaspoon jam on all the solid round cookies (without holes). Lightly dust rings (cookies with holes) with confectioners' sugar using a wire-mesh sieve.
• Set rings over jam to form sandwiches.

RASPBERRY LINZER COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a bowl using a whisk.
• Beat white sugar and butter together with an electric mixer on high in a bowl until light and fluffy; add egg substitute and vanilla extract. Beat until well blended.
• Gradually beat flour mixture into sugar-butter mixture until dough is soft. Divide dough into 2 equal balls and wrap each portion in plastic wrap. Chill dough in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Roll 1 dough ball into a 1/8-inch thick rectangle on a lightly floured surface; cut into 32 cookies using a square, star, or circular cookie cutter. Repeat with the second dough ball. Cut out the center of 32 cookies using a 1-inch square cookie cutter. Arrange all 64 cookies on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart.
• Bake cookies in the preheated oven until edges are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool on pans for 5 minutes before transferring cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
• Spread about 1/2 teaspoon raspberry jam into the center of each whole cookie. Sprinkle the cut-out cookies with confectioners' sugar; place 1 cut-out cookie atop each raspberry jam-topped cookie.

RASPBERRY LINZER COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter, gradually adding 2/3 cup sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Shape dough into a ball; cover and refrigerate until firm, 30-45 minutes., Preheat oven to 350°. On a surface dusted with confectioners' sugar, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. round cookie cutter. Using a floured 1-in. cookie cutter, cut out centers of half of the cookies., Beat egg whites until frothy. Mix almonds and remaining sugar. Brush cookies with egg whites; sprinkle with almond mixture. Bake solid and window cookies 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets until lightly browned, 6-8 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. , Spread 2 teaspoons raspberry preserves over the bottoms of solid cookies. Top with window cookies, almond side up., Editor's Note: For variety, substitute your favorite preserves in place of raspberry or apricot.