Linzer Cookies

Lovely linzers! Who knew it could be this easy to make gorgeous filled cookies?

Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup confectioners' or glazing sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 2 drops creamy hazelnut, bitter almond oil, or vanilla butternut flavor
1 cup almond flour or 1 cup hazelnut flour, toasted or plain; or 1 cup pecan meal
2 1/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 large egg
1 cup seedless raspberry jam or apricot jam; or chocolate praline filling (below)
confectioners' or glazing sugar, for dusting

Chocolate Praline Filling

1/2 cup hazelnut praline paste
1 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate or 1 cup bittersweet chips

Directions

1) To make the cookies: Beat together the butter, sugars, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and flavor.

2) Mix in the nut flour, flour, and egg.

3) Divide the dough in half, wrap, and refrigerate for 60 minutes, for easiest rolling. Towards the end of the chilling time, preheat the oven to 375�F.

4) Roll the dough 1/8" thick. Cut the dough into shapes with large linzer cutters. Use small cutters to cut a design out of the center of half the cookies.

5) Transfer the cookies to an ungreased or parchment-lined baking sheet.

6) Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned on the edges. Remove from the oven, and cool on a rack. While the cookies are cooling, make the filling.

7) To make the filling: Melt the praline paste and chocolate in a double boiler or in a microwave on low power, stirring until smooth. Cool to lukewarm.

8) Lightly dust the cookies with cutout centers with confectioners' sugar. Spread the solid cookies with 3/4 teaspoon praline filling or jam. Place a cutout cookie on top of each filled cookie. Let stand for several hours, until the filling is set.

Yield: about 5 dozen filled cookies.