Raspberry Linzer Cookies

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter (1 cup, softened)
• Granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
• Egg yolks (2 large)
• Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
• All-purpose flour (2 cups)
• Ground almonds (1/2 cup)
• Raspberry jam (1/2 cup)
• Powdered sugar (for dusting)

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar using an electric mixer on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
2. Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and mix until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and ground almonds until evenly combined.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed until the dough comes together. It should be soft but not sticky.
5. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up.
6. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
7. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough to about 1/8 inch thickness. Use a round cookie cutter to cut out cookies and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
8. Repeat with the remaining dough, rerolling scraps as needed.
9. Using a smaller cookie cutter, cut out the centers of half of the cookies to create a window for the jam.
10. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Keep a close eye on them to avoid overbaking.
11. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
12. Once cooled, spread a teaspoon of raspberry jam on the solid cookies and top them with the cookies that have cut-out centers.
13. Dust the finished cookies with powdered sugar before serving for an elegant touch.