Linzer Cookies – Martha Stewart
Ingredients
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg yolk, plus 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup blanched almonds, finely ground
½ cup Chokecherry Jam
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolk and vanilla; beat well.
In a separate bowl, whisk
together flour and salt; add to butter mixture, beating on low until combined.
Combine ground almonds with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl.
Form dough into 1-inch
balls, and dip in beaten egg white, then in almond-and-sugar mixture. Make a deep indentation in the center of each ball with your finger or a wooden spoon. Place 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking
sheets.
Bake 10 minutes, remove from oven, and press down the centers again. Rotate sheets, and bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes more. Transfer sheets to a wire rack to cool slightly.
Fill center of each cookie with about 1 teaspoon jam. Let cool completely. Thumbprints can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container, between parchment, up to 1 day (or 3 days, if not filled with jam).