Recipe By :
Serving Size : 36 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Cookies
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 c Whole unblanced hazelnuts
1 c Unsalted butter -- chilled
2 c Flour
2/3 c Sugar
1 ts Baking powder
1 ts Ground cinnamon
1/4 ts Salt
2 lg Egg -- separated
1 ts Vanilla extract
1 tb Lemon zest -- finely grated
1 c Seedless raspberry jam
Nut coating -- for thumb-
-prints (optional)
2/3 c Hazelnuts, unblanched
-chopped finely
Preheat oven to 350 F.
For Squares, line the bottom and 2 sides of an 8x8x2" metal baking
pan, with an 8x16" strip of heavy duty aluminum foil, well buttered
or greased.
For Cookies, butter or grease 2 nonstick cookie sheets.
Place the hazelnuts on a cookie sheet and bake them, stirring
occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes or until they turn golden where
the skins crack. Cool to room temperature.
Food processor method:
Cut the butter into 1" cubes, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate.
In a food processor with the metal blade, process the nuts with
1/2 c of the flour until the nuts are fine but not powder fine. Add
the rest of the flour, the sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt
and process for a few seconds until evenly mixed. Pulse in the
butter until mixture has the consistency of fine crumbs. Add the
egg yolks, vanilla extract, and lemon zest and pulse just until the
dough begins to hold together (do not allow it to form a ball.)
Electric mixer method:
Finely grate the nuts. Soften the butter. In a medium bowl, whisk
together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and lemon zest.
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar about 3 mintues or
until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, then the vanilla
extract. At low speed, gradually beat in the flour mixture, just
until the dough begins to hold together.
For the Squares:
Remove one cup of the dough and press it into the prepared pan.
Spread 2/3 cup of the jam to within 1/4" of the edges. Set aside.
Add three tablespoons of the egg whites to the dough remaining in
the food processor or mixer and pulse or beat until it is
incorporated. Set aside the remining egg whites for the the cookies.
Scrape 1 cup of the dough into the pastry bag and close it
securely. Pipe the mixture to form a lattice on top of the
raspberry filling. Pipe the first line down the center, dividing
the square in half. Now pipe 2 more lines, dividing the sqaure into
quarters. Then pipe 4 more lines, each between the existing lines,
dividing the squares into eighths. There will be 7 lines. Turn the
pan and repeat the process, adding 7 more lines. Next pipe a border
line around the 4 edges of the pan.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the dough is golden brown and
the jam bubbling. Cook completely in the pan on a wire rack. To
unmold, run a small metal spatula between the sides of the pan and
the pastry on the 2 siddes without the aluminum foil. Use the foil
to lift out the whole square and lide it off the foil onto a
cutting surface. Use a long, serrated knife to cut 2" squares. For
the most attractive squares, first cut the square in half in the
middle of the center lattice line (not on either side.) Turn the
square 1 turn and cut it into quarters following the same
directions, forming sixteen 2" quares.
For the cookies:
Measure the remaining dough into a 1-1/4" scoop or 2 level ts and
roll it between the palms of your hands to for 1" balls. If you are
using the optional nut coating, roll each ball in the reserved egg
whites. Lightly flour your hands, if necessary, to prevent
sticking. Roll each ball in the chopped nuts. Place the balls
1-1/2" apart on the cookie sheets. Use your floured index finger to
create depressions in the center of each ball. Fill each depression
with 1/4 ts of the remaining jam. Bake for 20 minutes or until the
cookies begin to brown lightly.
Store in airtight containers at room temperature or in the
refrigerator. Keeps 1 week at room temperature, 2 weeks
refrigerated. The squares will keep for several weeks refrigerated.
The thumbprints become dry.
Makes 16 squares and 3 dozen cookies.
Original from Rose's Christmas Cookies by Rose Levy Berenbaum
This recipe makes both Linzer Squares and Thumbprints, although you
need a pastry bag to pipe the dough to make the Linzer Squares. I
used the whole recipe to make thumbprints.
I made just the thumbprints, not the linzer squares. If you do this
as well (it's EASIER), be sure to add the 3 tb of egg white into
the dough. The instructions to do this are in the section labeled
"for the Squares" and you might miss it if you're not making the
squares.
