Linzer Cookies # Baking Partner's Feb '14 Challenge

Linzer Torte is an Austrian torte named after the city of its origin,  Linz in Austria. It is believed to be one of the oldest cakes in the world and is regarded as a holiday classic in several parts of Europe. In North America, it is often made like small tarts or cookies and are called the Linzer Cookies. In imitation of the lattice design that is signature of Linzer torte, the cookie versions are made by sandwiching a layer of jam between two almond flavored cookies, one of which has a peekaboo- circle, heart or flower-cutout in the center..

With Valentine's day in mind, this month Swathi of Zesty South Indian Kitchen challenged the baking partners to bake either Linzer Cookies or Heart Shaped Crunchy Seed Cookies. She had tried and tested the recipes for both the cookies from the book Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich and provided us with step-wise instructions for both. The Linzer Cookies  had been in my to-do list for a long time, so I chose to bake them for Valentine's day.

They were a big hit. On returning from work, husband was happy to be greeted with a plate of bright red cookies and the toddler, who had been helping me cut the cookies, felt both happy and proud for being part of the project...

Initially we did not think much of these cookies. But the more we ate the more we wanted.. The flavors are subtle and addictive and they go very well with both tea and coffee. I made only a few for V day and froze the remaining dough.. but it seems like I'll have to unfreeze the dough soon and bake the full batch on demand...

Linzer Cookies

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Recipe adapted from Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich

Prep time: min 2 hours 45 minutes                                                             Cook time: 15-20 minutes
Total time: min 3 hours 5 mins                                                                     Yield: 40 2 inch cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup 2 tbsps all purpose flour
• ½ cup ground almond (I used almond meal)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 1 ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp ground clove
• 8 tbsps unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
• ⅛ tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp cold milk (in case you are making the cookies dough by hand)
• Strained or pureed, good quality fruit preserve( I used strawberry jam)
• powdered sugar for dusting

Cooking Directions

1. Combine all the dry ingredients for the dough.
2. Add the almond extract and pieces of butter to it and mix well until the dough becomes crumbly.
3. If using the food processor, mix some more until the dough comes together. If mixing my hand, add the cold milk and mix some more till the dough comes together and forms a smooth ball.
4. Wrap the ball of dough in a plastic cling wrap and chill for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight or up to 3 days. The dough can be frozen up to 3 months.
5. When ready to bake, take out the chilled dough and let it sit on the kitchen counter till it is just soft enough to roll. The dough should still be firm.
6. Meanwhile position the rack to the upper and lower third of the oven, preheat to 325°F and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
7. Placing the cookie dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll it into a ⅛ inch thick sheet.
8. Using a cookie cutter, cut out even number of cookies from the dough. Using a smaller cookie cutter, cut out hearts, circles, flowers etc from half of cut out cookies. ( For cutting these cookies,a Linzer cookie cutter is handy. You can however use one 3 inch and another slightly smaller cookie cutter for the job.) 
9. In case the dough becomes very soft at this point, chill the cookie cutouts before lifting them with a spatula and placing them in the prepared baking trays.
10. Place all the cutout cookies 1 ½ inch apart in the prepared baking trays and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cookies begin to brown at the edges. For even baking, rotate the baking trays and shuffle them between the racks, once in between. (The smaller cutout pieces get baked in 8-10 minutes.)
11. Once baked, let the cookies firm up in the baking tray for a couple of minutes. 
12. Allow them to cool completely, then put the strained jam on the bottom halves, sift powdered sugar over the cookie tops and sandwich both halves together. It is advisable to spread the jam just before serving, as the moisture from it tends to soften the cookies.

Thanks to Swathi for this lovely challenge. Visit her page to see what the other baking partners thought about these cookies.

And in case you are interested here is the Amazon link of the book from which this recipe was adapted...

I shall be sharing it at the following parties...

Monday 
 Mix it up Monday, The Scoop, Made with love Monday, 
Marvelous Mondays @ This Gal Cooks, Recipe Sharing @ Jam Hands
Melt in your Mouth Monday, Inspiration Monday Party 
Recipe Sharing Monday, Inspire Me Monday, 
Clever Chicks Blog Hop

Meatless Monday :  Meatless Monday My Sweet and Savory

Tuesday 
Totally Tasty Tuesday @ Mandy's Recipe Box,  Tasteful Tuesday Party @ Nap Time Creations, 
Show Me What You Got @ Our Delightful Home ,  Hand Made Tuesday @ Ladybug Blessings,
Share it Link Party @ Winthrop Chronicles,  Tasty Tuesday @ Anyonita Nibbles,  
Hearth and Soul blog Hop @ Zesty South Indian Kitchen,
In & Out of the Kitchen @ Feeding Big & More, Tuesday's Table @ Love in the Kitchen, 

Wednesday 
What's Cooking Wednesday @ Buns in my Oven, 
Cast Party Wednesday @ Lady Behind the Curtain, Show and Share @ Semi Homemade Mom, 
Wine'd Down Wednesday, Wonderful Food Wednesdays at @ All She Cooks
Wonderful Food Wednesdays at @ Mom's Test Kitchen, Wednesday, Whatsit@White Lights on Wednesday,
Wednesday Extravaganza @ Hunger Little Girl, Create & Share @ The Trendy Tree House,
What I Whipped Up Wednesday @ Sugar & Dots Look, What I Made @ Creations by Kara

Thursday
Link it Up Thursday @ Seven Alive, Fantastic Thursday @ Three Little Chiefs,  
Thriving on Thursdays @ Domesblissity,  Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage , 
 Freedom Friday @ My Turn,  Pin it Thursday @ Sweet Bella Roos

Friday 
Foodie Friday @ Simple Living and Eating,  Friday Linky Party @ The Pin Junkie, 
Get Him Feed @ Anyonita Nibbles,  Friday Favorite (DYI too) @ Simple Sweet Home,  
Foodie Friday @ Not Your Ordinary Recipes, Foodie Friday @ Rattlebridge Farm,  
Weekend Wonders @ The Thriftiness Miss, Friday Food Frenzy @ Mostly Food and Crafts, 
Weekend Potluck @ Sunflower Supper Club,  The Weekend re-Treat @The Best Blog Recipes