Linzer Valentine Hearts Recipes

LINZER HEARTS

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine the cookie crumbs, almonds and 2 tablespoons of sugar; pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Transfer to a large bowl. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and stir it into the almond mixture.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter. Beat in the remaining sugar. Beat in one egg and the vanilla extract until creamy. Stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until just combined. Halve the dough, form into 2 disks, wrap in plastic and chill until very firm, at least 2 hours.
• On a floured surface, roll out half the dough to a 16-inch thickness. Use a pastry brush to brush off excess flour on the top of the dough, and use a large (about 3 1/2 inches at its widest point) heart-shaped cutter to stamp out as many hearts as possible. Use a wide spatula to transfer them to parchment-lined cookie sheets and chill. Gather the scraps, form into a disk and refrigerate. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Using a slightly smaller (about 2 inch wide) heart-shaped cutter, cut out the centers of half the chilled hearts. Leave the exterior rings on cookie sheets, and add the cut-out centers to the scraps. Roll out the chilled scraps and cut out an equal number of large hearts and rings. Chill them for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a cup, lightly whisk the remaining egg. Remove the chilled large hearts from the refrigerator and, using a small pastry brush, brush a coating of egg around the edges of each. Use a spatula to carefully lift the rings from the cookie sheets and place each over a heart. Press gently with your fingers to make them adhere. Brush the rings with more egg. Bake the cookies until the hearts are lightly colored, about 10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and drop about a tablespoon of the preserves into the centers, spreading to fill. Return the cookies to oven and bake until the jam is set but not bubbling, about 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool the cookies on the sheets.

LINZER HEART COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, cocoa, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in almonds. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle. , On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a 3-in. heart-shaped cookie cutter. From the center of half the cookies, cut out a 1-1/2-in. heart or round shape. , Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool., Spread 1/2 teaspoon jam over the bottom of the solid cookies. Sprinkle cutout cookies with confectioners' sugar; carefully place over jam.

LINZER HEART COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Toast hazelnuts until skins darken and begin to split, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a clean dish towel, and rub vigorously to remove skins; discard skins. Place nuts in a food processor; pulse until medium fine.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar at medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs; beat until smooth, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, hazelnuts, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and zest. Add to butter mixture; beat to combine, about 1 minute. Place in freezer until very firm, about 30 minutes.
• Liberally dust a clean surface with flour, and roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out seventy-two hearts. To make top halves of cookies, use a 1-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out centers from thirty-six of the hearts.
• Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets, and bake until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack until completely cooled.
• Lightly sift confectioners' sugar over cookie tops. Spread about 1 teaspoon jam on each of the bottom halves, and sandwich both halves together. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

LINZER HEART SANDWICH COOKIES 2

Steps:

• For the cookie batter: In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and continue mixing until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, 5 to 8 minutes.
• In another bowl, combine and mix the flour, almonds, cinnamon and nutmeg.
• Mix and roll the cookies: Because this dough has a good amount of butter, it needs resting time and needs to be rolled fairly quickly. Lay 3 large pieces of wax paper in a single layer on a flat surface. Sprinkle each one with a light coating of flour. Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a rubber spatula, blend the flour mixture in with the butter. When the ingredients are fully integrated, place one-third of the batter on each of the pieces of wax paper. Coat with another light layer of flour and top with another piece of wax paper of the same length to make 3 dough "sandwiches." Press these wax paper and dough sandwiches down with your hands until the dough is fairly thin. This will save a lot of time on rolling later on. Place 2 of them in the refrigerator and work with them one at a time. Roll the first batch into as neat a shape as possible. What matters most is avoiding creases or cracks and getting it to about 1/8 inch in thickness. When the first is rolled, refrigerate it and repeat the same process for the other 2. Let them chill at least 10 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Make the cookie bottoms: Remove the first rolled sheet from the refrigerator and cut as many 1 1/2-inch hearts (or rounds) as you can. Reserve the scraps in the refrigerator. Arrange the hearts neatly in a single layer on a greased baking sheet. Repeat with the other 2 sheets, reserving any scraps.
• Make the cookie tops: Cut a heart, with the smaller cutter, out of the center of half of all the cookies. Roll the scraps in between 2 of the pieces of wax paper and cut additional hearts, if desired.
• Bake and assemble the cookie sandwiches: Bake the cookies until they are lightly brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the trays from the oven and allow them to cool slightly on the tray for a few minutes before gently transferring them to a flat surface.
• Place the raspberry jam in a small pot and bring it to a light simmer. Remove from the heat to cool slightly as well. Spoon 1/4 to 1/2 a teaspoon raspberry jam on each bottom and place a top heart on squarely on each. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.