Sweet and pretty ā but much healthier than typical Valentineās Day fareā¦
You guessed it, these gut-friendly Linzer cookies fit the bill!
These jam sandwich cookies are made with ground nuts (hazelnuts or almonds), flavored with a hint of cinnamon, and filled with raspberry jam. I use ground soaked and dehydrated almonds, sprouted spelt pastry flour (sifted as I show here), and a lot less sweetener in my traditional foods variation.
While rustic, these cookies are the perfect opportunity to show a little TLC to family and friends (or yourself!) on Valentineās Day. Enjoy with a cup of hot tea and all the people you love! š
Gut-Friendly Linzer Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup crispy almonds *
- 1/2 cup grass-fed butter unsalted, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup Rapadura
- 1 large organic or pastured egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest finely grated
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup sprouted spelt or whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup all natural raspberry jam or jam of your choice
Instructions
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Finely grind crispy almonds* in a food processor with the blade attachment.Ā
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Set aside. Cream butter until fluffy and pale yellow.Ā
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Add Rapadura and continue beating until combined.Ā
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Add egg yolks, lemon zest, and extracts, and combine.
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In a separate bowl, sift flour, cinnamon, and salt together.Ā
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Sprouted flour can result in a crumbly dough, so take care when handling.Ā
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Add flour mixture and ground almonds to butter mixture.Ā
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Turn dough out onto waxed paper and refrigerate until chilled (1 hour or overnight).
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.Ā
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Roll dough out to about 1/4-inch thick.Ā
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Using round or heart-shaped cookie cutters, cut out the cookies. If you do not have 2 different sizes of heart shaped cookie cutters, linzer cookie cutters are available. In 1/2 of the cookies, use a smaller size cutter to cut out a hole in the center.
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Using a thin spatula, carefully transfer cookies to lightly greased baking sheets.Ā
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Bake just until firm to the touch (about 10 to 12 minutes).Ā
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Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.Ā
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Assemble when thoroughly cooled by spreading a very thin layer of jam on each solid cookie.Ā
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Fill with jam just before serving as the jam will cause the cookies to soften.Ā
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Finally, top each with a cut out cookie and serve.
Recipe Notes
- *If you don't have crispy almonds on hand, you'll need at least a day and a half to prepare them. But don't worry, it's easy!
- In a large 1/2 gallon jar, cover 4 cups almonds with filtered water and 1 tablespoon salt. Allow to set overnight in a warm place, such as the top of your refrigerator.
- The following morning, drain, spread on your dehydrator trays and dry at a temperature below 150 degrees Fahrenheit until completely crisp. The drying process may take up to 24 hours.
Enjoy! Will you be making these Linzer cookies for someone special soon?
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