Linzer Tortes

3/4 cups butter (1 1/2 sticks), room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon lemon rind

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups finely ground almonds or hazelnuts

2 1/4 cups cake flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

6 ounces raspberry jam, or other red preserve

Powdered sugar

1. Cream butter in a standing electric mixer with a paddle attachment. Add sugar and continue creaming. Add the egg, lemon, and vanilla and mix. Mix in the the ground nuts.

2. Stir together dry ingredients in a bowl and add to mixer and blend. Form the dough into disks, wrap and chill.

3. Roll out dough between two sheets of parchment paper to 1/8-inch thickness. Put rolled dough (still between parchment paper) in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to firm up before cutting.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F.

5. Cut out the base cookie shapes. Cut out the centers of half the disks with a smaller cookie cutter shape. Re-roll scraps and repeat.

6. Bake for 12 minutes or until edges turn golden. Cool on a wire rack.

7. Heat the jam or jelly and spread the solid disks with a layer of the hot preserves. Place the top layer cookie over the bottom, pressing down lightly. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, then fill the holes with more preserves. Let set slightly before serving.

Makes 12-24 cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutter shapes.