Chocolate Linzer Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extract. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle. , Divide dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one portion to 1/8-in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. round cookie cutter. Roll out remaining dough; cut with a 2-1/2-in. floured doughnut cutter so the center is cut out of each cookie. , Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool., Spread melted chocolate over the bottoms of solid cookies. Place cookies with cutout centers over chocolate. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon jam in center of each cookie.

Steps:

• In a medium bowl combine flour, cocoa, cinnamon, sugar and almonds.
• Toss lightly with a fork, add butter pieces.
• Gather into a ball.
• Wrap securely in plastic wrap and chill 4 to 5 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• On lightly floured surface roll out half of dough.
• Cut put rounds using a 3-inch round biscuit cutter.
• With the remaining half of dough cut out rounds with the same cutter, but also cut a smaller circle(about3/4-inch) in the center, using a bottle cap.
• Place both batches on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove from cookie sheet and cool completely.
• Spread plain cookies with jam and cover with a cookie with a whole in the center.
• Sprinkle tops with confectioners' sugar.

Steps:

• Add the nuts to the bowl of a food processor, fitted with a blade, and pulse until finely ground (it should be powdery and not a paste), about 15 pulses. Set aside. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl until evenly combined and set aside.
• Put the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, and mix on medium speed until creamy and light, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the mixer, scrape down sides of the bowl, and add egg yolks and vanilla. Mix until well incorporated.
• Mix in the orange zest, ground hazelnut powder, and the flour mixture until just incorporated. Divide the dough into 2 even pieces, pat each into a thin disk, enclose in plastic wrap, and let rest in refrigerator at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and arrange racks in the upper and lower third of the oven. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature until pliable enough to roll. Roll out half of the dough on a piece of lightly floured parchment or waxed paper to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out rounds of dough. Using a 3/4-inch round cookie cutter, cut out the center of half of rounds to make rings. Transfer rounds and rings to the freezer to set up for 5 minutes before continuing. Gather the dough scraps and chill.
• Transfer the chilled cookies to parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving at least 1-inch between each cookie. Bake 2 sheets of cookies at a time until the undersides are golden, switching sheets halfway through, about 12 to 15 minutes total. Cool 5 minutes on sheets then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat until all dough is used.
• To assemble cookies, spread 1 teaspoon of the chocolate spread on the bottom of each solid round cookie, then top with a ring-shaped cookie.
• For Blackberry-Pecan Linzer Cookies variation, follow the same instructions except spread 1/2 teaspoon jam on the bottom side of each solid round cookie, then top with a ring-shaped cookie.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm enough to roll., Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. round cookie cutter. Using a floured 1-in. round cookie cutter, cut out the centers of half of the cookies. Place solid and window cookies 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets., Bake 6-8 minutes or until set. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely., Spread 1/2 teaspoon melted chocolate on bottoms of solid cookies; refrigerate until firm. Spread 1/2 teaspoon jam on top of chocolate; top with window cookies. Drizzle with remaining chocolate; let stand until set. Freeze option: Transfer wrapped disks to a resealable plastic freezer bag; freeze. To use, thaw dough in refrigerator until soft enough to roll. Proceed as directed.

Steps:

• Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Beat in vanilla and eggs until smooth. Add remaining ingredients except jam and melted chocolate. Beat until well blended. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour (dough will be sticky).
• Heat oven to 375°F. Roll 1/4 of dough at a time to 1/8-inch thickness between sheets of waxed paper. (Keep remaining dough refrigerated until ready to roll.) Cut with 2-inch cookie cutter (dip cutter into baking cocoa if desired). Cut small shape from center of some of the cookies if desired. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until light brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.
• Spread about 1/2 teaspoon jam on bottom of whole cookies; top with cutout cookie or another whole cookie. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Let stand until chocolate is firm. 3 dozen sandwich cookies