Cardamom Blackberry Linzer Cookies Recipes

LINZER COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, cocoa, salt and spices; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in almonds. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle., Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. round or cookie cutter. From the center of half the cookies, cut out a 1-1/2-in. shape., Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool completely., Spread bottom of each solid cookie with 1/2 teaspoon jam. Sprinkle cutout cookies with confectioners' sugar; carefully place over jam.

LINZER COOKIES

Steps:

• Position racks in the lower and upper third of the oven and preheat to 350. Place the almonds and pecans on a baking sheet; toast on the upper oven rack until lightly browned and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Let cool, then pulse in a food processor with 1/4 cup granulated sugar until finely ground. (Don't overprocess or the mixture will turn into a paste.) Turn off the oven.
• Whisk the flour, cinnamon, cardamom and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Using a mixer, beat the butter and the remaining 11/4 cups granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract, egg yolks, and the lemon and orange zest; add the ground nuts. Add the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated (do not overmix). Divide the dough into 2 pieces; place 1 piece between 2 lightly floured sheets of parchment paper and roll into a 14-inch square, about 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with the other piece of dough. Refrigerate both rectangles, covered with the parchment sheets, until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350. Cut the dough into hearts with a 21/4- to 21/2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter. Using a smaller heart-shaped cutter (about 11/2 inches), cut out the centers from half of the cookies (you can reroll the centers and scraps). Place the cookies, about 1 inch apart, on baking sheets and bake 2 sheets at a time until the edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through. Cool on wire racks.
• Sift confectioners' sugar over the cookies. Spread 1 teaspoon raspberry preserves evenly over each whole heart cookie, leaving a slight border around the edge; top with the cut-out heart cookies.

CARDAMOM COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cream butter, 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, cardamom and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in extract. Gradually beat in flour. Stir in walnuts., Shape dough into 1-in. balls; place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until edges are golden, 15-17 minutes. , While warm, roll cookies in remaining confectioners' sugar. Cool on wire racks.