Linzertorte Cookies

These are a Christmastime regular in my kitchen and a favorite treat to add to Christmas gift baskets.

Yield: approximately thirty 2.5" diameter cookies

ingredients:

• 1 cup nuts, toasted and coarsely to finely ground (any combination of almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts and pecans is great - just use what you have on hand)
• 1 cup oats, regular or quick, ground in with the nuts (see instructions below)
• 1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder (optional)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup light vegetable oil (I use sunflower)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• zest of 1 orange or lemon (I usually prefer orange)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract
• 1/4 cup jam (I use raspberry, but really any jam will do)

method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a blender, grind nuts and oatmeal together into a coarse meal.

In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients.

In a smaller bowl, combine all wet ingredients.

Add wet ingredients to dry and stir to form a stiff dough.  Add a bit more flour if the dough looks too wet. You will be rolling it between sheets of wax paper, so it must not be wet or sticky. 

Place a sheet of wax paper on your work surface and place a dough ball of about 1/3 the total mass onto the sheet. Press flat, then top with a second sheet of wax paper and roll out the dough until it is about 1/4" thick.  

Stamp out the desired shape with a cookie cutter and transfer cookies to baking sheet. 

Once all the dough has been used up, make shallow indentations in the center of each cookie with your finger or thumb.  Fill indentations with a small amount of jam.

Bake until slightly golden, about 15 - 17 minutes.

Let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

Recipe adapted from: Sweet and Natural by Meredith McCarty

sweet things

cookies

chocolate almond cookies
coconut macaroons
date filled cashew cookies
ginger snaps
oatmeal rasin basics

cakes & squares

banana walnut bread
chocolate chocolate cake
coconut raspberry squares
pineapple upside-down cake
the real deal pound cake
pumpkin pie bars
harvest cake w/ "buttercream" frosting
un-brown brownies
vanilla cake with chocolate raspberry frosting

muffins

cranberry orange muffins

award-winning lemon poppyseed muffins

grand desserts

chocolate mousse
blueberry "cream" pie
raspberry banana apple crumble
pumpkin pie

other

cinnamon buns
co-co orb balls
vanilla "buttercream" icing
truffles

pies

pie crust
apple pie with carmel topping

chocolate almond cookies

These are what angels eat in heaven...all...day...long

dry:

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup chopped toasted almonds
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

wet:

• 1/4 cup sunflower oil
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract

method:

Preheat oven to 350.

Chop whole almonds, then measure off 1/3 cup, then toast for no more than 10 min.

In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients.

In a smaller bowl whisk together wet ingredients until well blended.

Pour wet mixture into dry and stir until combined. The batter will be thick, and it will seem as though there are too many chocolate chips for the amount of dough. (I know, you ask, how can this possibly be?)

Roll dough into little balls between your hands and flatten into thick disks on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake 11 min for crisp cookies, 10 min. for slightly softer cookies.

Cool on wire rack.

Try not to eat them all in one day.


Recipe by: bunnyfoot.blogspot.com