raspberry almond linzer cookies

almond and raspberry is one of my all time favorite flavor combinations. let's be honest - anything i've ever had paired with almond is a winner in my book. these cookies have been on my to bake list for the past few christmases, putting them off because cutting out all those windows seemed like a lot of work. these cookies are a complete labor of love. and if you find that cutting out the middle leaves your kitchen in a flurry of broken tops, skip it, and make simple sandwiches. they taste just as good and no one will miss the fancy window.

raspberry almond linzer cookies
adapted from martha stewart
about 2 dozen sandwich cookies

3/4 cup almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
raspberry jam

1. using a food processor, pulse the almonds, confectioner's sugar, salt, and cinnamon until finely ground. transfer to a bowl.
2. add butter and sugar to the bowl and mix until fluffy. add the vanilla and eggs and mix until incorporated. on low speed, slowly add the flour and baking powder and mix until combined.
3. halve the dough and shape each half into a disk. wrap the disks in plastic and refrigerate at least two hours.
4. preheat your oven to 375F. line a sheet pan with parchment paper. roll out one disk of dough to an eighth of an inch thick. cut out shapes about two inches in size. if you want a window of jam, cut out the middle of half of the cookies with a smaller cutter. space two inches apart on the baking sheet. bake until pale brown, about ten minutes.
5. transfer cookies to cooling racks to cool. when completely cool, sandwich cookies with a generous dollop of raspberry jam. store in an airtight container.