Raspberry Linzer Cookie Cups Recipes

Steps:

• Cream butter, gradually adding 2/3 cup sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Shape dough into a ball; cover and refrigerate until firm, 30-45 minutes., Preheat oven to 350°. On a surface dusted with confectioners' sugar, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. round cookie cutter. Using a floured 1-in. cookie cutter, cut out centers of half of the cookies., Beat egg whites until frothy. Mix almonds and remaining sugar. Brush cookies with egg whites; sprinkle with almond mixture. Bake solid and window cookies 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets until lightly browned, 6-8 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. , Spread 2 teaspoons raspberry preserves over the bottoms of solid cookies. Top with window cookies, almond side up., Editor's Note: For variety, substitute your favorite preserves in place of raspberry or apricot.

Steps:

• Mix flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a bowl using a whisk.
• Beat white sugar and butter together with an electric mixer on high in a bowl until light and fluffy; add egg substitute and vanilla extract. Beat until well blended.
• Gradually beat flour mixture into sugar-butter mixture until dough is soft. Divide dough into 2 equal balls and wrap each portion in plastic wrap. Chill dough in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Roll 1 dough ball into a 1/8-inch thick rectangle on a lightly floured surface; cut into 32 cookies using a square, star, or circular cookie cutter. Repeat with the second dough ball. Cut out the center of 32 cookies using a 1-inch square cookie cutter. Arrange all 64 cookies on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart.
• Bake cookies in the preheated oven until edges are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool on pans for 5 minutes before transferring cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
• Spread about 1/2 teaspoon raspberry jam into the center of each whole cookie. Sprinkle the cut-out cookies with confectioners' sugar; place 1 cut-out cookie atop each raspberry jam-topped cookie.

Steps:

• Finely grind/chop the toasted pecans in your food processor. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and ground pecans on medium speed until very soft and light, about 3 minutes. Beat in the confectioners sugar and vanilla extract until well combined. Scrape down the sides of your bowl and add the dry ingredients. Beat for about 30 seconds, or until well combined (dough will pull away from the sides of the bowl).
• Roll the dough into 1" balls and place in an UNgreased miniature cupcake pan. Find something in your kitchen that is the same diameter as the cupcake hole, and press gently down on each ball to make an indentation.
• Place a rounded half teaspoon of raspberry jam in each depression and bake at 350F for 20 minutes. The jam will melt and spread out evently.
• Keep the baked cookies IN the pan, but on a cooling rack for TEN MINUTES. After 10 minutes, you will be able to VERY GENTLY lift the cookie cups out of the pan. You can use the tip of a knife to help, but it shouldn't be necessary...just lift with a steady, gentle pressure and they will pop out. I've also had luck turning the pan upside down on a soft towel and tapping it gently...they should pop out.