Valentine’s Linzer Cookies with Chocolate Cinnamon Ganache

• 2 cups AP flour
• 3/4 cup ground blanched almonds
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks butter (1 cup)
• 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 – 2/4 cup powdered sugar for dusting
• disco dust if desired

• Mix together flour, almonds and salt and set aside.
• Cream together the butter and sugar.
• Add egg yolks one at a time.
• Add orange zest and lemon extract until blended.
• Mix in flour/almond/salt mixture until just combined.
• Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least a half hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Roll our dough on floured surface.
• Using the Linzer cutter (without the insert) cut approximately 20 shapes for the backs or bottoms of the cookie.
• Insert the cutout shape into the cookie cutter and cut out several, switch and repeat using the insert shapes you like.
• If you don’t have inserts you can use a fluted or plain round cutter and cut all your cookies at once and then use a small cookies cutter, round, heart, etc. to cut out the remaining cookie halves with inserts.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes.
• Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

• 5 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• Place chopped chocolate in a heat safe bowl
• Heat cream until it boils
• Remove from heat and pour over chocolate whisking until it it melted.
• Add cinnamon and blend thoroughly

Assemble the Cookies

• Using a small spatula or butter knife spread a thin layer of  the ganache on the bottom part of the cookie.
• In a small bowl, using a small fork or a tiny whisk, add the hologram dust to the powdered sugar a little at a time until the sugar is tinted.
• Dip each cookie half into the tinted sugar, shake off the excess and pair up a solid bottom half with a cutout top.