Pecan Linzer Cookies - Everyday Annie

I have no idea how it is possible that in all of my years of baking, this is my first time making linzer cookies. For quite some time I have been fascinated by them. They just look so neat and pretty. Tidy little shapes with that gorgeous pop of color from the jam showing through and a dusting of powdered sugar – perfection! Maybe I was afraid that the taste wouldn’t live up to my expectations or maybe I was mildly intimidated by the complexity of the cookie cutters. Maybe a little of both.

Now that I have finally tried them I can say confirm that they were even more delicious than I could have hoped for. The cutters were very easy to use. (Side note – you don’t actually have to have the fancy cutters to make these. Just use a scalloped edge cutter for the top and bottom shapes and then use a separate mini cutter to make the center shape.) The cookie is just barely sweet, slightly crumbly but tender with a subtle nut flavor. And of course, who doesn’t love jam? Despite their gorgeous look they are pretty quick to make. They will look so lovely as part of a holiday spread or cookie exchange. Use whatever flavor of jam you prefer but make sure it is good quality. We used apricot and raspberry, but next time I would also love to try them with my blueberry lavender jam. Mmm, the possibilities.

Yield about 2 dozen sandwich cookies

Ingredients

For the cookies:

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup pecan halves, toasted
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, plus more for finishing
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup (4 oz.) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

To fill:

About ½ cup jam

Directions

01
In a small bowl, combine the flour and baking powder; whisk to blend. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the pecans, confectioners’ sugar, salt and cinnamon, and pulse until the pecans are finely ground.
02
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and granulated sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Blend in the egg and the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and pecan mixtures to the bowl and mix in just until combined and a dough forms. Form into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 2 hours.
03
Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8-inch thick. Use a round scalloped cutter to cut out rounds of the dough, and use a smaller cutter (or a the linzer cutter) to cut shapes in half of the rounds. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Reroll dough scraps as needed.
04
Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the bake time, until beginning to brown and just set, about 8-10 minutes total. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before filling.
05
To fill, add a small spoonful of jam to a bottom cookie and sandwich with a cut-out top round. Repeat with the remaining cookies. Dust with confectioners’ sugar if desired to finish.

Source

slightly adapted from Smells Like Home, originally from Martha Stewart Cookies