Pecan Linzer Cookies With Cherry Filling Recipes

PECAN LINZER COOKIES WITH CHERRY FILLING

Steps:

• Sift flour and baking powder together into a bowl. Pulse pecans, confectioners' sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a food processor until finely ground; transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
• Add butter and granulated sugar; beat 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 each in plastic; refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Working with one 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 paper-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. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.

LINZER FLOWER COOKIES

Steps:

• Pulse hazelnuts in a food processor until finely ground.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and beat until smooth. Beat in vanilla.
• Whisk together ground hazelnuts, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Add to butter mixture; beat on low speed until just combined. Divide dough in half; shape each half into a flat disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough 1/4 inch thick. Using a 3 1/2-inch flower-shaped cutter, cut out cookies. (If dough becomes too soft, freeze 10 minutes.) Using a large spatula, transfer to prepared baking sheets. Using a 3/4-inch petal-shaped cutter, cut out centers of petals from half the cookies. Repeat process with remaining disk of dough. Gather scraps from both disks, reroll, and cut.
• Bake, rotating halfway through, until edges are slightly golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cool completely.
• Lightly sift confectioners' sugar over cookies with cutout petals. Spread a heaping teaspoon of jam on each solid cookie; carefully sandwich with sugared cookies.