post by food editor Ayu

Don’t you just want to bake cookies, cookies, and cookies few weeks before the holiday? Although sometime pie baking could be really tempting. But baking cookies at this time of the year is pure pleasure. First, you want to do the bake tests, of course you don’t want to serve or give your friends and family a bad batch of cookies. Second, you can choose which cookie is the best…the best of all cookies. And third, you just want to spoil yourself with cookies and cookies and more cookies. These linzer cookies are a big holiday cookie. They are crumbly, nutty and buttery. And for more idea to make this holiday cookie even more holiday-ish, you can use different cookie cutters like stars, snowflakes or tree. And use different jam fillings like apricot, raspberry, cherry, marmalade, so you can have colorful linzer cookies.

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup whole almond, toasted
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup blueberry jam, strained

Method:

1. Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl; set aside. Pulse almonds, confectioners’ sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a food processor until finely ground (but not wet); transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
2. Add butter and granulated sugar; mix on medium speed until fluffy. Mix in vanilla and egg. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until combined. Halve dough; shape into disks. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thick. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Cut out squares with a round cutter. Cut out centers of half the squares with a 1/2-inch heart cutter; reroll scraps. Space 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake rounds and hearts until pale golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool.
4. Meanwhile, heat jam in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced and thickened, about 7 minutes; let cool.
5. Sprinkle cutout cookies with confectioners’ sugar. Spread jam onto uncut squares; top with cutout ones. Store in an airtight container up to 2 days.