Apricot Hazelnut Linzer Cookies
These bright and beautiful cookies brighten up any season. You’ll find these beauties in the bakery, heart-shaped with strawberry filling. You can vary the flavors by swapping the hazelnuts with almonds or another finely ground nut, changing the extract in the dough, and getting creative creative with the fillings. This particular variation was developed for Intermezzo.
APRICOT HAZELNUT LINZER COOKIES
MAKES 36
You can also fill these cookies with ganache or hazelnut spread.
1/2 pound butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1- 1/2 cups apricot preserves
Confectioners sugar
In the bowl of a stand mixer ( or with hand mixer). Cream butter and sugar until light. Add egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well after adding each one. Add vanilla.
On low speed, add flour, hazelnuts and salt. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface knead and divide dough in half. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or overnight. ( dough can be frozen 2 weeks).
Preheat oven to 350 ℉.
Roll dough onto a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thick. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut dough into circles. Using a 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out the center of half the circles. Re-roll and cut all the dough until you have an even number of bottoms (without holes) and tops ( with hole) . Place cookies onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, spacing each 2 inches apart.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges begin to brown.
Remove cookies from the oven and cool completely.
Assemble cookies. Pair cookies together. Dust top cookies with confectioners sugar.
Using a small spatula, spread a small amount of preserves on bottom cookies. Place top cookie onto preserves and press gently.