Blackberry Pecan Linzer Cookies Recipes

CARDAMOM-BLACKBERRY LINZER COOKIES

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine 1/2 cup flour and almonds; pulse until almonds are finely ground. Add cardamom, salt and remaining flour; pulse until combined., In a large bowl, cream butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm enough to roll., Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-in. round cookie cutter. Using a floured 1-in. round cookie cutter, cut out the centers of half of the cookies. Place solid and window cookies 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets., Bake 10-12 minutes or until light brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a small bowl, mix spreadable fruit, lemon juice and remaining sugar. Spread filling on bottoms of solid cookies; top with window cookies. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

HAZELNUT-CHOCOLATE LINZER COOKIES

Steps:

• Add the nuts to the bowl of a food processor, fitted with a blade, and pulse until finely ground (it should be powdery and not a paste), about 15 pulses. Set aside. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl until evenly combined and set aside.
• Put the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, and mix on medium speed until creamy and light, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the mixer, scrape down sides of the bowl, and add egg yolks and vanilla. Mix until well incorporated.
• Mix in the orange zest, ground hazelnut powder, and the flour mixture until just incorporated. Divide the dough into 2 even pieces, pat each into a thin disk, enclose in plastic wrap, and let rest in refrigerator at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and arrange racks in the upper and lower third of the oven. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature until pliable enough to roll. Roll out half of the dough on a piece of lightly floured parchment or waxed paper to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out rounds of dough. Using a 3/4-inch round cookie cutter, cut out the center of half of rounds to make rings. Transfer rounds and rings to the freezer to set up for 5 minutes before continuing. Gather the dough scraps and chill.
• Transfer the chilled cookies to parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving at least 1-inch between each cookie. Bake 2 sheets of cookies at a time until the undersides are golden, switching sheets halfway through, about 12 to 15 minutes total. Cool 5 minutes on sheets then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat until all dough is used.
• To assemble cookies, spread 1 teaspoon of the chocolate spread on the bottom of each solid round cookie, then top with a ring-shaped cookie.
• For Blackberry-Pecan Linzer Cookies variation, follow the same instructions except spread 1/2 teaspoon jam on the bottom side of each solid round cookie, then top with a ring-shaped cookie.

PECAN LINZER COOKIES WITH CHERRY FILLING

Steps:

• Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl; set aside. Pulse pecans, 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.
• 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.
• 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 2-inch fluted 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 squares and hearts until pale golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool.
• Meanwhile, heat jam in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced and thickened, about 7 minutes; let cool.
• Sprinkle cutout cookies with confectioners' sugar. Spread jam onto uncut squares; top with cutout ones.

BLACKBERRY LINZER COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine butter, sugar, egg, cream and vanilla.
• Then add salt, baking powder and flour, and beat until just combined, forming a soft dough. Form into flattened disk, cover, and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Place dough between two large pieces of parchment paper, and roll out to 1/8 inch thickness.
• Cut out as many 2-inch round cookies as you can, placing on a lined baking sheet. Use a linzer cookie cutter or a 1-inch round cookie cutter to create center holes in half of the rounds.
• Chill all dough you aren't working with, including all the cutting scraps, in the refrigerator before rolling them out again to make more rounds.
• Chill cut-out dough 10-15 minutes, if possible, before assembling cookies, so cookies won't lose their shape when handling. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F when ready to assemble and bake.
• To assemble, fill a small piping bag (or a quart-size resealable plastic food storage bag with the tip of one of its bottom corners snipped off) with the jam.
• Squeeze 1/2 teaspoon of the jam onto the center of each bottom round of dough. Top with the second rounds that have a hole in them, pressing gently to create a sandwich.
• Space cookies 1 inch apart and bake one sheet at a time for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are barely golden brown.
• To make lemon-thyme sugar: Whisk together zest, sugar and thyme leaves.
• While cookies are still hot on the baking sheet, immediately sprinkle them with lemon-thyme sugar, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

HAZELNUT LINZER COOKIES WITH BLACKBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Whisk first 5 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Beat butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, and citrus peels in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks. Beat in dry ingredients in 4 additions; beat in nuts. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap; chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out half of dough on lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Using 2-inch round cutter, cut out rounds. Using 3/4-inch round cutter, cut out center of half of rounds to make rings. Transfer rounds and rings to prepared sheets. Gather dough scraps; chill.
• Bake cookies until golden, reversing sheets after 10 minutes, about 22 minutes total. Cool completely on sheets. Repeat until all dough is used. Do ahead Store airtight at room temperature up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.
• Arrange cookie rings on work surface. Sift powdered sugar over. Spread 1 teaspoon jam on each cookie round. Press rings onto jam on rounds. Do ahead Can be assembled 1 day ahead. Store between sheets of waxed paper in airtight container at room temperature.