LINZER COOKIES (nut free)
original recipe from Family Circle Magazine, 1979
SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR A PRINTABLE RECIPE!
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1 12 oz. jar jam (raspberry, strawberry, apricot all work well); we use Nutella also
confectioner’s sugar
Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Separate 1 egg.
Beat in egg, egg yolk, lemon rind and vanilla extract.
Mix flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Stir into egg mixture, blending well to make a stiff dough; use hands if necessary to mix ingredients together. Divide dough evenly onto two sheets of wax paper. Use paper to make a ball with the dough, then wrap tightly and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Remove one dough disk from refrigerater. Roll dough between sheets of wax paper to about 1/4″ thickness. With 2″ round cookie cutter, cut as many circles from dough as possible. Carefully remove circles from wax paper and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Chill scraps before re-rolling and cutting out circles.
With second disk of dough, repeat process of rolling and cutting out circles. Using a smaller cookie cutter or knife, cut shapes in this batch of circles. Again, chill scraps before re-rolling.
You can use a round cookie cutter, or even a drinking glass and knife to cut out the inside shape. I have this Wilton set. The kids love all the different cut outs they can make.
Bake cookies 8-9 minutes or until edges are just starting to turn golden. Remove from oven and cool cookies on stovetop for 1 minute, then carefully transfer from cookie sheets to wire cooling racks and cool completely.
I have found if you let them rest on the cookie sheet longer than a minute or so, they tend to stick to the pan and break when removed.
Dust the cookies with cut-outs (tops) with confectionary sugar. Top each bottom cookie with a top to form a sandwich.
THE PRINTABLE RECIPE IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST!
If your Valentine is a chocoholic (like all four of mine!), one of these desserts might strike your fancy!

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Privet and Holly says
Looks like a delicious
labor of love, Lisa!
Love Linser cookies.
Wow, this comment
is full of alliteration : )
Happy V-Day!
xx Suzanne
Jennifer L. Griffin says
I've never made those cookies before but looks like they would be fun to make with my daughter! But that chocolate pb casserole…OH. MY. That looks good. Headed to print the recipe!
Barbara says
Wow, it would take a pretty special someone for me to part with one of these beauties.
Suzy www.savedbysuzy.blogspot.com says
Your cookies are so pretty and chocolate peanut butter casserole!?!? I've never heard of such a thing, but it sounds absolutely delicious.
Tracey @ The Kitchen is My Playground says
Happy Valentine's Day, Lisa! Hope you have a wonderfully sweet day!!
Tracey
Moore or Less Cooking says
I am so happy that your memory served you right and you posted your Linzer cookies recipe twice, it is absolutely my favorite and yours look fabulous, I just had about 1/2 a dozen from Morses European Deli, and just figured out by your post that it is Nutella in the center!! Thank you Lisa! I linked up my Chocolate banana nut birthday cake, but I guess I did that @Mangia Mondays, oh well, I have no memory, this is all fitting together perfectly sweetie! Nettie
Dana Frieling@ Make Them Wonder says
I'll take one of each please! Fantastic idea of adding Nutella…chocolate covered strawberry wrapped up in cookie awesomeness.