Cranberry Ginger Linzer Torte Cookies Food

CRANBERRY LINZER TORTE

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Lower heat to a brisk simmer and stir frequently, until cranberries burst. Continue cooking, mashing fruit a bit with the back of a spoon, until thick as jam, about 30 minutes. Set aside. (Filling may be prepared in advance.)
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place hazelnuts and almonds on a baking sheet and bake about 10 minutes, until well browned. Rub skins off hazelnuts while still warm, discarding skins. Cool nuts, then grind finely in a food processor, adding 3 tablespoons of flour to keep them from becoming oily. (Nuts should have the texture of coarse cornmeal.) Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment, combine butter, sugar, and lemon and orange zest. Beat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg, egg yolk and vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, mix together ground nuts, the rest of the flour, cloves, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture in three parts, mixing each time until it forms a slightly sticky dough.
• Divide dough into two pieces, one slightly bigger. Form larger piece into a ball, wrap and flatten to a 1-inch thickness. Form smaller piece into a rough rectangle, wrap and flatten to a 1-inch thickness about 4 by 5 inches. Chill 3 to 4 hours, or overnight.
• Heat oven to 350. Butter and flour an 11-inch fluted French tart pan. Remove dough from refrigerator and let stand for 10 minutes. On floured parchment paper, roll the larger piece of dough into a 12-inch circle, dusting the top with flour as necessary. If dough is difficult to handle, chill again. Pat evenly into pan until sides and bottom are completely lined with dough about 1/8-inch thick. Refrigerate or freeze tart shell until firm.
• Roll out smaller piece of dough on floured parchment paper to rectangle about 10 by 12 inches and 1/8-inch thick. Cut into strips about 3/4 inch by 12 inches. Transfer parchment to a tray and refrigerate or freeze until firm.
• Spread cranberry jam evenly into shell. Lay strips across top in a lattice pattern. Form remaining dough scraps into a rope 1/2 inch in diameter and use it to encircle outer edge of tart. Score diagonally with the handle of a spoon or flute with fingers to make a border.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until jam is bubbling and pastry is lightly browned. Let cool, and dust with powdered sugar if desired. Serve in small wedges.

LINZER TORTE COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• 2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg and lemon peel. In another bowl, stir together the flour,nut flour, cinnamon and cloves. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. The dough will be stiff, so you may need to knead it by hand to get it to come together.
• 3. Roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thickness and cut into rounds using a cookie cutter. Place cookies onto a cookie sheet spaced 2 inches apart. Count your rounds and use a small cookie cutter to cut the center out of half of the cookies. This can be done while the other half of the cookies bakes. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until firm and lightly browned at the edges. Allow cookies to cool completely. Spread jam on the tops of the solid cookies and top with the cookies that have shapes cut out.

CRANBERRY GINGER DROP COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F Lightly grease cookie sheets.
• Combine sugar, brown sugar and butter in large mixer bowl; beat on medium speed until well mixed. Add milk and egg; beat until smooth.
• Add flour, baking powder, ground ginger and baking soda; beat on low speed until well mixed. Gently stir in cranberries, pecans and crystallized ginger.
• Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.
• Immediately remove from cookie sheet; cool on wire rack.
• Combine powdered sugar and enough milk for desired glaze consistency in small bowl; mix well. Spread glaze on cooled cookies.

AUSTRIAN LINZER TORTE

Steps:

• Place flour, ground almonds, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and cloves on a clean work surface. Add butter and 2 egg yolks; knead quickly to form a smooth dough. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 10-inch springform pan with remaining 1 tablespoon butter.
• Press 2/3 of the dough evenly in the pan so that the entire bottom is covered. Spread red currant jam on top. Divide remaining dough into several pieces and roll into 1/3-inch strands between your fingertips. Arrange the strips over the jam in a neat lattice pattern. Place the last strip along the sides of the pan to form a rim.
• Beat remaining 2 egg yolks and brush over the lattice and rim, taking care not to splash onto the jam.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Watch carefully towards the end of the baking time to make sure the torte does not turn too dark. Let cool and remove gently from the pan. Store for at least 3 days in a cool place before serving.

LINZER TORTE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 11x7 inch baking pan.
• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg and lemon peel. In another bowl, stir together the flour, almonds, cinnamon and cloves. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. The dough will be stiff, so you may need to knead it by hand to get it to come together. Press half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan.
• Press half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the preserves over the crust. On a lightly floured surface, roll the remaining dough into long rope about 1/2 inch in diameter. Place lengths of the rope across the top of the jam in a lattice pattern over the preserves.
• Bake 40 minutes or until top is golden. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into 2 inch by 1inch bars.

CRANBERRY-WALNUT LINZER TORTE

Steps:

• Combine the cranberries, three-fourths cup sugar, apple juice, one-half teaspoon cinnamon and cloves in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium heat about 15 minutes, until the mixture becomes thick like a jam. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Combine the walnuts, flour, cocoa, remaining one-fourth cup sugar, salt and remaining one-half teaspoon cinnamon in a bowl or a food processor. Add the butter, cut it in by hand or pulse it briefly in the food processor. Add the egg and water, mixing lightly to form a dough or, in a food processor, add the egg and water through the feed tube with the processor running.
• Gather the dough together and divide it into two parts, one slightly larger than the other. Pat the larger part into a flattened circle and transfer it to an 8- or 9-inch round cake pan with a removable bottom. Pat the dough evenly into the pan to cover the bottoms and sides up to about one-and-a-half inches high. Spread the cranberry jam into the pastry shell.
• Roll or pat the remaining dough into a rectangle about 8 by 5 inches. Slice it into about eight strips one-half-inch wide and arrange them over the cranberry filling in a lattice pattern, pressing the ends of the strips into the rim of the dough. Press a pattern into the rim of the dough with the tines of a fork.
• Bake for 20 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake about 25 minutes longer, until the dough is lightly browned and the filling is bubbly.
• Allow to cool, then dust with sifted confectioners' sugar before serving.