Raspberry Linzer Cookies

Ingredients

• 7 1/2 oz all-purpose flour (1 1/2 cups, see note)
• 1/8 teaspoon table salt
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 6 oz unsalted butter (softened)
• 6 oz confectioner sugar (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 oz almond flour (1/4 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon rum
• 2 large egg yolks
• confectioner's sugar for dusting
• 1 cup seedless raspberry preserves for filling

Instructions

1. 1

   Sift together 7 ½ oz all-purpose flour, ⅛ teaspoon table salt, ⅛ teaspoon baking soda and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Set aside.

2. 2

   Cream 6 oz unsalted butter and 6 oz confectioner sugar until the mixture lightens in color and is aerated, about 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl thoroughly. Add 2 oz almond flour, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon rum, mix to combine. Add 2 large egg yolks and mix just until combined. Don't over-mix once the eggs are added. Scrape the bowl thoroughly. With the mixer running on low speed, add the flour.

3. 3

   Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly to finish combining the ingredients. Split the dough into two equal portions and form each into a disc. Wrap and refrigerate for several hours until chilled and firm.

4. 4

   Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line two ½ sheet pans with parchment paper or a silcone baking mat.

5. 5

   Remove one of the dough discs from the refrigerator. Knead briefly or press on the dough with a rolling pin to soften. Roll the dough to ⅛" thick and cut out cookie bottoms. Set the cookie bottoms onto one of the prepared sheetpans, spaced ¼" apart.

6. 6

   Reroll the scraps and continue cutting until the first portion of dough is gone. If the dough gets too soft to roll return it to the refrigerator to firm up.

7. 7

   Roll the second portion of dough to ⅛" thick and use the same cutter to cut cookie tops. Use a smaller cutter to cut a hole in the center of each cookie top. Continue rolling and cutting until you have an equal number of cookie tops and bottoms.

8. 8

   Bake until lightly golden, about 6-7 minutes. Turn the trays ½ way through the cooking time if the are browning unevenly. Cool completely

9. 9

   Dust an even layer of confectioner's sugar over the cookie tops. Using a pastry bag or small spatula, pipe a rim of raspberry preserves over each cookie bottom.

10. 10

    Carefully place a cookie top onto each cookie bottom to form a sandwich. Use a pastry bag to fill the cut-outs with raspberry preserves.