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apple linzer cookies

* adapted from a williams sonoma recipe

ingredients:

1 cup finely ground almonds, lightly toasted
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
About 1/4 cup apple butter
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

instructions

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on high speed until fluffy and pale yellow. Add the granulated sugar and continue beating until combined. Reduce the speed to low. Add the egg yolk, lemon zest, vanilla and almond extract and beat until blended.

2. Sift together the flour, cinnamon and salt into another bowl. Add the toasted, ground almonds and stir to blend. Add the flour-nut mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low speed or stir with a wooden spoon until blended. The dough should be soft.

3. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, divide into 4 equal portions and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

4. Preheat an oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

5. Remove 1 portion of the dough at a time from the refrigerator, place between 2 sheets of waxed paper and roll out 1⁄4 inch thick. Using a cookie cutter about 2 1⁄2 inches in diameter, cut out the cookies. Using a 1 1⁄4-inch cutter, cut a hole in the center of half of the cookies. Repeat with the remaining portions of dough, then re-roll the dough scraps as needed to make 24 cutouts total, cutting holes in half of them. If the dough becomes sticky, wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze for 10 minutes before rolling out.

6. Using a thin spatula, carefully transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are firm to the touch, about 12 minutes. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks. Loosen the cookies with the spatula, but leave the cookies on the sheets until thoroughly cooled.

7. To assemble, spread the solid cookies with a thin layer (about 1 teaspoon) of apple butter to within about 1⁄4 inch of the edges. Dust the cutout cookies generously with confectioners’ sugar. Top the solid cookies with the cutout cookies. Makes 1 dozen cookies.

Changes, hints, tips and thoughts for this recipe:

• these cookies turned out quite well -- S. loved them, as did my dad! I think using the apple butter instead of the usual raspberry jam made them a bit more original and honestly, who doesn't like apples??!