Best Pecan Linzer Cookies With Cherry Filling Recipes

Linzer Flower Cookies image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Yield Makes 12

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 cup blanched hazelnuts, toasted
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
1/2 cup jam

Steps:

Pulse hazelnuts in a food processor until finely ground.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and beat until smooth. Beat in vanilla.
Whisk together ground hazelnuts, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Add to butter mixture; beat on low speed until just combined. Divide dough in half; shape each half into a flat disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough 1/4 inch thick. Using a 3 1/2-inch flower-shaped cutter, cut out cookies. (If dough becomes too soft, freeze 10 minutes.) Using a large spatula, transfer to prepared baking sheets. Using a 3/4-inch petal-shaped cutter, cut out centers of petals from half the cookies. Repeat process with remaining disk of dough. Gather scraps from both disks, reroll, and cut.
Bake, rotating halfway through, until edges are slightly golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cool completely.
Lightly sift confectioners' sugar over cookies with cutout petals. Spread a heaping teaspoon of jam on each solid cookie; carefully sandwich with sugared cookies.

Pecan Linzer Cookies with Cherry Filling image

Yield Makes about 2 dozen

Number Of Ingredients 11

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup pecan halves, toasted (see page 115)
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup cherry jam, strained

Steps:

Sift flour and baking powder together into a bowl. Pulse pecans, confectioners' sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a food processor until finely ground; transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Add butter and granulated sugar; beat on medium speed until fluffy. Mix in vanilla and egg. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until combined. Halve dough; shape into disks. Wrap each in plastic; refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Working with one disk at a time, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thick. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Cut out squares with a 2-inch fluted cutter. Cut out centers of half the squares with a 1/2-inch heart cutter; reroll scraps. Space 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake squares and hearts until pale golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool.
Meanwhile, heat jam in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced and thickened, about 7 minutes; let cool.
Sprinkle cutout cookies with confectioners' sugar. Spread jam onto uncut squares; top with cutout ones. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.