Cherry Linzer Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup Unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 0.66 cup Granulated sugar (Dixie Crystals brand recommended)
• 1 Egg (large)
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 tsp Water
• 2 cup All-purpose flour
• 0.5 cup Almond flour
• 0.25 tsp Salt
• 0.5 cup Sour cherry preserves (for filling)
• Powdered sugar (for dusting)

Steps

1. 1

   In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together the room temperature butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.

2. 2

   Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and a little bit of water until the mixture is well combined.

3. 3

   Gently fold in the all-purpose flour, almond flour, and salt. Be careful not to overmix the dough, as this will make the cookies tough.

4. 4

   Separate the dough into two equal chunks and pound each half into a flat disc.

5. 5

   Wrap each dough disc tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to chill.

6. 6

   Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

7. 7

   Once chilled, roll the dough out between two pieces of plastic wrap until it is approximately 1/4 inch thick.

8. 8

   Using a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out 32 hearts. Use a smaller 1-inch heart-shaped cutter to cut out the centers of half (16) of the larger hearts.

9. 9

   Place the cookies on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, or until the edges just start to turn golden brown. The cookies should still be quite soft.

10. 10

    Allow the cookies to cool completely on the pan or a wire rack.

11. 11

    To assemble, place a spoonful of cherry preserves in the center of the solid heart cookies. Dust the cookies with the heart cut-outs with powdered sugar, then sandwich them on top of the jam-covered bases.

Notes

Be sure to under-bake these cookies slightly to keep them soft. Rolling the dough between plastic wrap prevents sticking without adding excess flour. If the dough becomes too soft while working, return it to the fridge for 10 minutes.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• cookie
• Valentine's Day
• baking
• almond
• fruit-filled
• holiday