LINZERTORTE COOKIES RECIPES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the orange juice and vanilla. Mix in the baking powder, then gradually stir in the flour until the dough forms a ball. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. I like to do mine overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into 3 inch circles using a cookie cutter or drinking glass. Place circles on the prepared cookie sheets. Spoon 1 teaspoon of filling onto the center of each circle. (Any more and it will ooze out) Pinch the sides of each circle to form a triangle, covering as much of the filling as possible. The cookies may be frozen on the cookie sheets if desired to help retain their shape while cooking.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until light golden brown. These are best undercooked slightly. Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3. Line a 30x20cm/12x8in straight sided brownie tin with foil or non-stick baking parchment.
• Sieve the flour, cocoa and baking powder together in a bowl and add a good pinch of salt. Break 250g/9oz of the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and place over a barely simmering saucepan of water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Leave to melt, stirring regularly.
• When the chocolate has melted, remove and leave to cool slightly. Roughly chop the remaining chocolate and set aside.
• Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, then pour in the chocolate. Mix thoroughly, then add a third of the flour mixture. Stir to combine, then repeat with the other two-thirds of flour.
• Add half of the hazelnuts and all the reserved chopped chocolate and stir to combine, then scrape the mixture into the prepared tin.
• Whisk the chocolate spread and hazelnut liqueur together (if using), until you have a smooth, spoonable paste. Make little wells in the brownie mix and add spoonfuls of the mixture.
• Sprinkle over the remaining hazelnuts and press down lightly. Bake in the preheated oven for around 30 minutes, testing after 25 minutes. When the brownies are done a wooden skewer should come out with a few crumbs attached – it shouldn’t be wet, but it shouldn’t be completely clean either.
• Leave to cool in the tin. If you can bear to wait, put the brownie tin in the fridge to rest overnight before cutting them – it will help them settle into a consistency that isn’t too cake-like. Cut into squares and store in an airtight tin.