Chocolate Linzer Hearts
Chocolate Linzer Hearts
Ingredients:
2 ¼ cups cake flour
1/4 cup dutch process cocoa
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
1 cup finely ground sweetened glazed almonds
1 large egg
1 teaspoon chocolate extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
(1/4 cup cocoa powder – optional for rolling out dough)
¼ cup confectioner sugar
1 cup seedless raspberry preserves
Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside. Mix butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add sugar and continue beating until sugar is incorporated and mixture is fluffy. Add almonds. Mix to combine. Add egg and extracts and mix until combined. Add flour mixture to butter mixture. Mix until just combined. Dough will be stiff with some moist crumbs. Form dough into 2 discs. Flatten slightly with your palms and cover with plastic wrap. Chill one hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll out each disc on parchment paper to 1/8 inch thickness. If dough sticks, sprinkle cocoa powder sparingly over dough. Cut out shapes using a 2 inch cookie cutter. Cut out the centers of half the shapes with a small cookie cutter (a little less than 1 inch in diameter). Re-roll scraps. Bake cookies for approximately 12 minutes or until slightly puffed, set and dry to the touch. Let cool 10 minutes on cookie sheet then transfer to a wire rack. With a small sieve, dust the cookies with the centers cut out with confectioner sugar. In a small bowl, microwave the raspberry preserves about 20 seconds so mixture is thick but not a solid gel. If it is too hot the mixture will be too liquid. Let stand for a few minutes until it thickens slightly. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of preserves in the center of each whole cookie. Using a butter knife or small spatula, spread some of the preserves to within a ¼ inch of the edges of each cookie. Top with the sugar dusted cookies making a sandwich. Makes approximately 26 cookies but this will vary depending on the size and shape of your cookie cutter.
My story:
There is nothing better than baking a batch of homemade cookies to show someone how much they are appreciated. My signature cookie is an original twist on the traditional linzer tart. I like the pairing of chocolate and raspberry with the added crunch of sweetened almonds. I always make these cookies in the shape of hearts to remind the recipient how much they are loved. The cookies are easy to make, elegant enough for special occasions yet simple enough for every day. This recipe is very special to me because it is a reminder that you do not need a lot of money or time to create the most appreciated gifts – those from the kitchen.
on 05/21/07
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