I like to think every day should be dedicated to loving each other through food, but to be honest I’m grateful for this chance to finish up my leftover bits of jam and dust off my carefully curated and not often enough used cookie cutters.
But linzer hearts are not only for Valentines day. They definitely don’t need to be heart shaped and are the perfect teatime treat or seasonal gift when you want something that looks a little bit fancy. Just get creative with your cutouts.
For years I ritualistically made heart shaped jam filled cookies for my sons on this auspicious day using my buckwheat cacao nib shortbread recipe, adding 100g ground almonds or hazelnuts alongside the flour and omitting the optional egg. But you already have that recipe here for reference, so I thought I would share a more traditional version of the classic love fest treat, inspired by my baking hero Alice Medrich.
Linzer Hearts
12
servings15
minutes12
minutesMakes 12 heart shaped sandwich cookies (plus 12 mini heart sandwiches with the cutouts)
Chilling the dough is essential, both before rolling, after rolling and if your kitchen is hot again after you have cut them out and laid them on your cookie sheets.
I like to make these with toasted hazelnuts that I grind in the food processor. This gives a better texture and toasting the nuts gives a much better flavour. Full disclosure: I often cheat and for this single use I go all out with the fancy Italian already toasted and peeled hazelnuts that I just then have to grind up. No judgement please.
Ingredients
120g ground hazelnuts or almonds (see note above)
100g caster sugar
270g plain flour
good pinch of salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
200g cold butter, cubed
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp orange zest
strained or pureed good quality jam (blackberry and cherry or simple raspberry are my faves)
icing sugar for dusting the tops
Directions
- In the bowl of a food processor, blitz together your toasted hazelnuts and half the sugar making sure they are ground well but do not form a paste.
Add the remaining dry ingredients into the bowl of the food processor and pulse until everything is combined. Remove the lid and scatter the butter over the flour mixture, return the lid and pulse just until the dough forms. Add the vanilla and orange zest and pulse a couple more times, making sure everything is incorporated but careful not to overmix.
Divide the mixture in half and wrap in cling film, formed into flat discs.
Refrigerate for at least an hour and unto 3 days. - When you are ready to roll, preheat your oven to 180ºC (350ºF)
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper - Remove the dough from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature for about 5 minutes. Place the dough either on a floured surface or between 2 pieces of parchment paper- my preferred method, roll out the dough, moving it around in quarter turns until its about 3-5mm thick. Place the disc on a baking sheet and chill in the fridge for 30 more minutes or in the freezer for 10 while you roll the other disc out.
- Take the re-chilled disc out of the fridge and place on a lightly floured surface. Cut out the hearts or whatever shape of choice, trying to be as efficient as possible with the dough. Use a mini heart cutter for the centres of half the larger hearts to form the top later, reserving the mini hearts for more cookies. Move quickly here to ensure the dough does not get too warm.
- Carefully move the cut out cookies onto the cookie sheet. Repeat with the second disc once it has chilled. If the dough has become warm you might want to give it another blast in the fridge for a couple of minutes before baking to stop the cookies spreading.
Bake for 12 minutes (8 minutes for the mini hearts) until golden.
Allow to cool. They really taste better the next day and will keep for a week without the jam filling so you can make these in advance. - To assemble, spread each solid cookie with a thin layer of jam in the centre. Dust the cutout other halves with icing sugar before placing on top of the jam.
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Have you made this dish?
Let me know what you think, share your efforts and any tweaks you made to the recipe on Instagram, don’t forget to tag #BuildingFeasts or email me on info@buildingfeasts.com
