Lemon-Rosemary Linzer Cookies
This is an amazing twist on a classic Linzer Cookie, which is itself a twist on a classic cake.
Servings
30sandwich cookies
Servings
30sandwich cookies
Ingredients
For Cookies:
For Filling and Topping:
Instructions
To Make Cookies:
  1. If using whole almonds, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place almonds on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned and fragrant. Remove from oven and let the nuts cool completely. Place nuts in a food processor with 1/4 cup of sugar and process until finely ground. (If using the almond flour, just add all the sugar at once when beating the butter and add the almond flour to the other dry ingredients)
  2. In a separate bowl combine the flour, rosemary, salt and lemon zest.
  3. In the bowl of your mixer, beat the butter and remaining 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract and egg yolks. Beat in the ground almonds and the flour mixture. Divide the dough in half, then shape each half into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 60 minutes, up to two days.
  4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  5. On a lightly floured board, roll out the first disk to a 1/4″ thickness. Using a 1.75-2″ square cutter, cut out the cookies and place on a cookie sheet, one inch apart. With a smaller cookie cutter (I used a rectangle and a circle) cut a window into half of the cookies. Reroll any scraps and cut out remaining cookies. Repeat with the second disk of dough.
  6. Place each cookie sheet in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before baking to ensure they’ll keep their shape while baking. Bake for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. The cookies will keep for a week, unfilled, in an airtight container.
To Make Lemon Curd Topping and Assemble:
  1. Whisk together eggs and yolks, then combine with sugar and lemon juice in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture coats back of a spoon, 12 to 14 minutes. Strain into a small bowl. Add butter a little at a time, stirring until smooth. Stir in lemon zest. Press parchment or plastic wrap directly on surface of curd to prevent skin from forming. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 days, in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow to come to room temperature before using.
  2. Place the baked cookies on a cookie sheet and dust the tops with powdered sugar. Spread a thin layer of lemon curd on the bottom sides of the full cookies. Place the cut-out cookie on top and lightly press together. If you like, use a small spoon or piping bag to fill the cut-out with a little more lemon curd.
  3. The cookies will get soft if stored so assemble as close to serving as possible, preferably the same day.