Cashew Vanilla Bean Linzer Valentine’s Cookies with Pink Grapefruit Curd Filling

• 2 cups AP flour
• 3/4 cup cashew meal
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks butter (1 cup)
• Seeds of 1 vanilla bean
• 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup powdered sugar for dusting

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Mix together flours and salt and set aside.
• Cream together the butter and sugar.
• Add vanilla bean seeds and then egg yolks one at a time.
• Mix in flour/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 out dough on floured surface. The dough will be crumbly but stick with it.
• 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.

• 1 cup freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice, strained (about 1 whole)
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 tablespoon flour
• A smidge of pink food coloring (optional)

Directions:

• Heat grapefruit juice in a saucepan until it comes to a boil and remove from heat.
• Beat egg yolks and sugar together until pale yellow.
• Beat in the corn starch and flour.
• Add the hot juice to the yolks, a little at a time while beating to temper the yolks.
• If you want to add food coloring, now is the time.
• Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and heat until bubbling.
• Remove from stove and transfer to a heat proof bowl.
• Cover the curd with plastic wrap making sure the wrap touches the curd.
• Place in fridge to cool completely.

• Using a small spatula or butter knife spread a thin layer of  the pink grapefruit curd on the plain bottom part of a cookie half.
• Dip a cutout cookie half into the powdered sugar, shake off the excess and place on top.
• Repeat until you have a pretty and luscious plate of cookies to admire and enjoy.