Linzer Heart Cookies

I've seen linzer cookies before with their pretty heart and star cutouts filled with jewel toned jam. This winter while in Hawaii, I picked up a set of linzer cookie cutters. I was so excited to use them but kept them on the shelf through the holidays- it was a little crazy then to be trying out new recipes. With Valentine's Day coming up, I thought I'd give them a try. The set contains 7 pieces. One large round cutter that you can attach the little cutters to and the little cutters that come in flower, diamond, heart, star, circle and triangle shapes. This time I tried out the flower and heart ones. The cookies are a blend of hazelnut and almond instead of just the traditional almond. I filled them with different jams- blueberry, raspberry, and superfruit (a blend of pomegranate, acai, cherries and red grapes).

Linzer Cookies

Inspired by Oui Chef Network

Makes about 32

1/2 cup almond meal (ground almonds)

1/2 cup hazelnut meal (ground hazelnuts)

2 cups + 1 Tbsp.  all purpose flour, plus more for rolling

3/4 cup sugar

zest of 1 lemon

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

7 oz. cold unsalted butter cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 large egg

1 Tbsp. cold water

1/2 cup jam

confectioner's sugar for dusting

1. Mix almond meal, hazelnut meal, flour, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cloves in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the pieces of butter into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal. Whisk egg and water together in a small bowl. Add to flour mixture and mix gently. The dough should stick together. If it doesn't, add water a little at a time until dough is workable. Divide dough into 2 pieces. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2-3 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Flour a work surface. Roll the dough out to 3/16 inch thick. Cut 1/2 of the cookies with shaped holes in the middle and half without. Place on baking sheet 1 inch apart. When baking sheets are full, gather scraps into a ball and refrigerate.

3. Bake 15 minutes until edges are just starting to lightly brown. Cool on baking sheets. Transfer to wire rack. After baking sheets are cool,  reroll the scraps from the fridge, cut out and bake.

4. Place the cookies with cutouts on a piece of parchment paper. Dust with powdered sugar. Spread jam on the cookies without cutouts. Match powdered sugar tops with jam bottoms.