Linzer Tarts

I have been making this Linzer Tart recipe for years.  I used to make these for the holidays and I would wrap them up and give them out to my friends, family and neighbors.  This year I was so busy making Chocolate Truffles that this recipe got pushed aside.  This recipe is from a cookbook I received from my brother many years ago called "The Great American Cookie Cookbook"

I woke up today and was in a baking mood.  My sweet 4 year old and I had a great morning together baking these cookies. This recipe does not make many cookies since each cookie is really two cookies sandwiched together.  I made two batches so I would have more.  In one night my husband can easily polish off five of these babies...

Here is what you'll need: (to get as many cookies as I made just double this recipe)

• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Seedless Raspberry Jam ( I have used raspberry jam with seeds and that works great too)
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 or 2 large cookie cutters

There is that silly kid again!

Place the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and mix.

Look at that happy kid...she just loves to bake.. and in her p.j.'s no less!

What could be better!

Now add the sugar and the softened butter into a bowl and start to beat with a hand mixer.

Silly Kid!

Now add the egg and the vanilla to the sugar/butter mixture and mix again with the hand mixer.

Now slowly add in the flour mixture.  I added 1/3 of it at a time and used the hand held mixer on low.

Now place the dough on a piece of plastic wrap and divide in half.

Next wrap each piece of dough in plastic wrap and then refrigerate for two hours.

Once chilled for two hours its time to roll out the dough.  

Thanks to my sweet friend Cyndi who supplied me with a plethora of cookie cutters. It seems that when we moved a year and a half ago my cookie cutters got misplaced and I had to call around to get some cookie cutters.  

My neighbor/friend Cyndi always comes through!  

Thanks Cyndi!!!!

On a floured surface take the dough out of the plastic wrap and flatten out.  Now flour your rolling pin and roll the dough to about 3/16 " thick.

This just warms my heart...she loves to bake!

Now get your cookie cutter and cut out the shape into the dough.  For this cookie you will need two cookies to complete one cookie.  So the bottom cookie will just be cut out and the top cookie will be the same shape but will have a hole cut out in the center...see below.

I used the top of my vanilla extract bottle to cut out the center of the top cookie.

I also used a circle cut out for a more traditional looking Linzer Tart.

Now place the cut out cookies onto an ungreased baking sheet.  

Bake at 375 for 5 - 8 minutes.  You want the cookies to have a slight brown edge.  

I over baked my first batch and they were only in for 7 minutes...so you should really watch them as they bake.

Let cool!

Now get the raspberry preserves and a butter knife.

Now spread about a 1/2 tbsp of the Raspberry Preserves onto the bottom cookie and then place the top cookie over the preserves.

(oops...bad picture.)

Now continue this step until you have no more cookies.

Next take a strainer and 1 tbsp of confectionary sugar and tap the strainer over the cookies. The sugar will look like snow coming out of the strainer.

Is that pretty or what?

Serve with a hot cup of coffee!!!

You could always do a heart shaped cookie and make these for Valentines day!