Mini Linzer Cookies Food

LINZER COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter with paddle attachment. Add sugar and continue creaming. Add the egg, lemon, and vanilla and mix. Add nuts and mix. Stir together dry ingredients in a bowl and add to mixer and blend. Form into disks, wrap and chill. Roll out dough with floured rolling pin to 1/8-inch thickness on a well floured surface. Cut out disks, fluted if desired, approximately 2 inches in diameter. Cut out the centers of half the disks with a cutter in the shape of your choice. Re-roll scraps and repeat. Chill cut out dough. Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F for 12 minutes or until edges turn golden then cool on a wire rack. Heat the jam and spread the solid disks with a layer of the hot jam. Glue on the lids pressing down lightly. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, then fill the holes with more jam. Let set slightly before serving.

MINI LINZER COOKIES FROM BAREFOOT CONESSA (INA GARTEN)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
• Roll the dough 1/4-inch thick and cut 2 3/4-inch rounds with a plain or fluted cutter. With 1/2 of the rounds, cut a hole from the middle of each round with a heart or spade shaped cutter. Place all the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and chill for 15 minutes.
• Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature. Spread raspberry preserves on the flat side of each solid cookie. Dust the top of the cut-out cookies with confectioners' sugar and press the flat sides together, with the raspberry preserves in the middle and the confectioners' sugar on the top.

MINI LINZER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
• Roll the dough 1/4-inch thick and cut 2 3/4-inch rounds with a plain or fluted cutter. With 1/2 of the rounds, cut a hole from the middle of each round with a heart or spade shaped cutter. Place all the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and chill for 15 minutes.
• Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature. Spread raspberry preserves on the flat side of each solid cookie. Dust the top of the cut-out cookies with confectioners' sugar and press the flat sides together, with the raspberry preserves in the middle and the confectioners' sugar on the top.

BLUEBERRY LINZER COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookies: Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla- beat well. Add flour, baking powder, and salt, mix well. Cover and refrigerate until firm enough to roll- 45 minutes or so.
• Divide the dough in half, and roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut one batch of bottoms, then follow with an equal number of tops until you run out of dough, rolling the cut out centers back into the rest of the dough. (I used a large glass for my cookies, and a baby bottle cap to cut out the centers of the tops.).
• Bake at 375 for 6-8 minutes 'til lightly browned. (I normally like chewy cookies, and under cook my dough- these are best if they aren't overly chewy for structural reasons.).
• Cool cookies on a rack when they come out, placing the bottoms upside down once they are cool enough to handle. Sprinkle the tops with powdered sugar if desired.
• Meanwhile, combine the berries, sugar, and jelly in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 3-5 minutes. (I used my hand blender to smooth out the berries.) Remove from heat, allow to cool a little- the goal is to have it warm enough to spread on the cookies, but not too hot to handle.
• OK, the assembly: spread a thin layer of filling onto the bottom cookie, keeping away from the very edge. Top off with a top, being careful not to disturb the powdered sugar.
• After all of the cookies are 'glued' together, evenly distribute the remaining filling between the cookies, spooning it into the centers. Allow the centers to cool completely before moving (aprox. 30 minutes.) I placed a layer of wax paper in between when I stacked the cookies, because while the filling firms and isn't at all sticky, I didn't want to test it out.
• EDIT: After making these with a tough batch of berries I discovered that you will need to add about 1/3 cup of flour to thicken the sauce if you strain the berries out - just bring it to a boil after straining.