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What way to celebrate red hot love this Valentine’s day than making these heart shaped, beautiful Linzer cookies with a spicy center?
These cookies pack a big flavor punch. They are perfect forValentine’s Day but you can change the shape and use them for any occasion. The only decorative limitation is what shape cookie cutters you have in your baking supply arsenal.
Instead of the almond flour or meal traditionally used in these Austrian traditional cookies, I substituted the mellow flavor of cashew flour to balance out the spiciness of the red pepper flavor. A teaspoon of chili powder added to the cookie batter also amps up the flavor.
Hot Pepper Jelly Cashew Heart Linzers
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Chill Time: 30 minutes
Bake Time: 12 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 cups AP flour
- 3/4 cup cashew meal
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks butter (1 cup)
- 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup powdered sugar for dusting
- 1 jar of red pepper jelly
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
Directions:
- 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 the 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 a heart shaped cutter (without the insert) cut out shapes.
- Using a smaller shaped heart cutter, cut heart shapes out of the middle of half of the heart cutouts.
- Roll out the remaining dough from the cutouts and repeat.
- Place the solid hearts and cutout hearts on separate baking sheets. They will have different baking times.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies just start to turn golden brown at the edges.
- Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Assemble the Cookies
- Using a small spatula or butter knife spread a thin layer of the hot pepper jelly 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 all the cookies have been paired.
- For an extra decorative and flavorful touch, sprinkle a bit of chili powder over the cookies, once you’ve arranged them on on a serving platter.
