Linzer Cookies - ground almonds

Method

• Preheat oven to 350F (180C).
• In a bowl, sift flour, cinnamon, salt and lemon zest and mix them together.
• Using an electric hand mixer, or a stand mixer, cream butter.
• Add sugar to the creamed butter and continue to beat till light and fluffy.
• Beat in vanilla extract and egg yolks.
• Mix in the ground almonds and flour mixture.
• Divide dough into 3 parts.
• Using a cling wrap or a parchment paper to cover the dough, roll to about 1/4 inch thick.
• Refrigerate the dough till firm.
• Remove one of the dough and using a larger cookie cutter, cut out the cookies.
• Using a smaller cookie cutter, cut out the centre of half of the batch.
• Place them on a prepared baking sheets.
• If ur cookies become soft, pop them back into the fridge and let it firm up.
• Reroll any scraps and cut out the remaining cookies.
• Bake the cookies about 12 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges.
• Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.
• Once the cookies are fully cooled, sprinkle icing sugar on the cookies that had their centre cut out.
• Spread thin layer of jam on the bottom surface of the full cookie, with the top of the cookie facing outside.
• Place both cookies together and gently sandwich them together.
• Using a small spoon, fill the cut out with a little more jam.
• Tips: If you want the cookies to stay crisp when eating, assemble the cookies on the day of serving.
• The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for several days.
• Makes 26 3 inch cookies.
• Recipe from JoyOfBaking.com