Triple Almond and Apricot Linzer Cookies
/I have a slight problem when it comes to saying thank you. Chill out, I'm going to explain.
I say thank you when necessary (and then some) but when I am so truly grateful for something/someone I find it difficult to thoroughly express myself. So I bake something for that person. It's weird, I know, but I have yet to get any complaints.
I have an upcoming formal event for which I needed a very nice dress. Said dress needed quite a bit of hemming and it wasn't easy material to work with. However, I have the best tailor in Westchester and, as I knew she would, she did an outstanding job. I couldn't thank her enough so what did I do? I baked. I had a jar of apricot preserves that needed using so I found a base recipe, which I then transformed into my own.
Almond flavor is one of my favorites, especially when combined with apricot. I upped the almond by using almond meal, crushed almonds and extract. One of my coworkers is also on the almond/apricot train so I made sure to save a few for him. I got a flurry of texts that night:
"omg SOOOOOO good"
"like serious good"
"amazing"
If that doesn't prove these cookies are a winner then I don't know what does. Oh, I should mention he knows his way around sweets: he's quite the baker himself and dates a pastry chef. Sooooooooo, yeah. These cookies are the ****. Until the next dish, ciao!
You will need:
1 cup flour
1 cup almond meal/flour
2 sticks of softened butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup dry toasted sliced/slivered almond, crushed
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon (plus an extra dash or two)
3oz apricot jam
Powdered sugar
Combine both flours, crushed almonds and cinnamon, set aside. Using a hand mixer on low to medium mix the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and both extracts and mix well. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and gently combine, do not overmix.
Divide dough onto 2 pieces; press into small discs, about 1 inch thick. Wrap separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours or until firm enough to roll.
Preheat oven to 350. Flour your work surface and roll out one disc to about 1/8 thick, perhaps even thinner. Using your desired cookie cutter, cut out the shapes and transfer them to a cookie sheet greased or coated in cooking spray. *I chose to NOT make them "window" cookies so you will have to adjust your cutting if you choose to do so*
You can reroll scrap dough but after the second time I suggest placing it back in the refrigerator and beginning the process again with another disc.
Bake for 12 minutes, until the cookies are light brown. Remove from oven and let cool on sheet. Spread a thin layer of jam on one cookie, place a second cookie on top and sandwich together. Repeat process and dust cookies with powdered sugar.
