LINZER PARTY OF FIVE RECIPES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the almond flour, all-purpose flour, and ground cinnamon. Place the softened butter and sugar in a medium bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer). With a hand mixer (or stand mixer with a paddle attachment), beat until creamy and light, 2-3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla extract and lemon zest and mix well to combine. Add the flour mixture in 3-4 batches, mixing on low to combine completely in between each addition. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.  Divide the dough into 2 portions and pat into 2 discs, about 1” thick.  Wrap each tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour until firm (or up to 2 days). Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. The dough should still feel cold and slightly firm but soft enough to leave the imprint of your fingers. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Flour a surface very well and place one disc of dough on top (leave the other disc wrapped in plastic wrap). Roll into a large, thin sheet (between 1/16 - 1/8-inch thick.) Using a circle or shaped cutter (about 2 ½” wide), cut shapes from the dough. Place the cookies on large baking sheets lined with parchment paper, about 1-inch apart. Gather up any remaining scraps, wrap with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Repeat with the remaining sheet of dough and any remaining, chilled dough scraps. Cut small shapes from the centers of one-half of the cookies. (You can add this dough to the re-roll pile, or bake off little mini cookies). Bake for 9-11 minutes, just until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden. Let cool for 5 minutes on the sheet pans before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Top the whole cookies with 1-2 teaspoons of jam and spread all over the center of the cookies. Place the cookies with cut-outs on a sheet tray and sift powdered sugar over top. Carefully place the sugared cookies over top of the cookies with jam. Serve immediately or store in a single layer in an air-tight container, between sheets of parchment paper, in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days. 

Steps:

• Beat butter and sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy. Stir in 1/2 cup flour, the ground almonds, and cinnamon. Mix in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until the mixture becomes a slightly stiff dough.
• Shape the dough into a ball; divide it in half. Wrap both halves in wax paper or plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about one hour.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough into a sheet 1/8 inch thick. With a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut as many circles from the sheet as you can. Knead the leftover scraps of dough into a ball and roll it out again into a 1/8 inch sheet. Cut out more circles. You should now have about 12 circles.
• Arrange cookies on prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch of space between them. Refrigerate while working with remaining dough.
• Repeat the rolling and cutting process with the other half of the dough, but after placing the second batch on the baking sheet, cut out the center of each circle with a 1/2 inch cookie cutter.
• Bake cookies in preheated oven until light brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes.
• Spread a thin coating of jam on each of the cookie rounds. Set a cutout cookie on top of each, pressing the two together so they make a sandwich. Spoon a dab of jam into the opening of each tart and sprinkle the tops with confectioners' sugar before serving.