Recipe: Tate's Bake Shop Linzer Cookies {GIVEAWAY}

Nothing bespeaks true love quite like a good sandwich cookie.



I know, I know, all sorts of more decadent, chocolate-covered strawberry salted caramel ridonkulousness gets the glory at this time of year. 

But if you want to show your significant other that you're not really mad at him for the fact that the male protagonist in the book you're reading is cheating on his wife (even though you inexplicably and uncontrollably kinda are. please tell me I'm not the only one who gets way too emotionally involved with fictional characters and then projects her emotions towards them onto people in her real life. please.)...

...then the sandwich cookie, especially one that is laced with chocolate, hazelnuts, and a thick layer of raspberry jam.

Is totally where.it's.at.



You see, sandwich cookies are like DOUBLE the effort of regular cookies, which I already find to be a high strung kind of affair. 

Let me count the ways.

First, you have to mix up your batter enough, but not too much otherwise you'll get cake instead of cookies and then you have to chill the dough for somewhere between 2 and 72 hours. Somehow without taste-testing the majority of it along the way. Riiiighhhhttt.

Then, in the case of these, there's the rolling out part.  And I don't know about you, but I can barely tolerate rolling out pie crust.  At least then there is a PIE at the end of it!  So, yeah. It's onerous. Especially when your dough is simultaneously sticky and crumbly. Because that makes sense.

And to top it all off, when it all comes down to it you've spent your night creating 40 cookies only to get half of that back as finished product!

Talk about a production efficiency nightmare.  These margins are non-ideal, people.



Until, of course, you add in the cuteness factor. And the fact that the smile that they'll bring to your significant other's face upon biting into their hazelnut chocolate shortbread raspberry medley of flavors...so worth it.



GIVEAWAY
The kind and wonderful folks over at Tate's Bake Shop (whose cookies I LOVE, by the way) are celebrating the Valentine's Day season with a special deal - they are offering 50% off a Valentine's Cookie Cube and Cookbook combo, along with 20% off any additional web store purchases. To redeem the 20% offer, just use the code BLOG213 at checkout.  In addition, they are also offering one of these Cookie Cube and Cookbook combos to one of you guys!! TO ENTER leave a comment telling me what your favorite kind of cookie is. And be sure to leave an email address that I can use to contact you if you are not a blogger!  The giveaway will end on Monday!



One year ago...Reese's Peanut Butter Banana Bread, Spaghetti in Tomato-Apple Sauce
Two years ago...Spiced Chipotle Honey Chicken Breasts with Sweet Potatoes and Winter Squash
Three years ago...Salmon Poached in Court Bouillon
Four years ago...Creamy Two-Layer Pumpkin Pudding Pie

Tate's Bake Shop Linzer Cookies
Makes about 20 sandwich cookies, adapted from Baking For Friends

Ingredients

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 lb (3 sticks) salted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups toasted, skinned and VERY finely chopped hazelnuts
• 6 oz bittersweet chocolate, VERY finely chopped
• 1/2 cup raspberry jam
• confectioners' sugar for sifting

Instructions 

1. Sift the flour, cornstarch and salt into a medium bowl.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until combined, about 1 minute on medium speed. Beat in the egg and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the flour mixture until just combined. Mix in the hazelnuts and chocolate.
3. Gather up the dough and shape it into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours. Let sit at room temp for 10 minutes before rolling.
4. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with silpats or parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thick. If you have two heart-shaped cookie cutters that are graded in size than use them, but I used a 3-inch round biscuit cutter to cut out the cookies. Arrange about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Gather up the dough scraps and knead together to cut out more cookies. Repeat until all dough has been used. If dough becomes too soft, refrigerate until chilled. Refrigerate cut out cookies for 30 minutes to an hour.
5. Preheat the oven to 325. 
6. Using a 1 inch round cookie cutter (or heart cutter), cut out the center of half of the cookies. These will be the cookie tops. Bake, switching the position of the cookie sheets from top rack to middle rack halfway through, for 20-25 minutes or until the cookies begin to brown. Sift some of the confectioners' sugar over the hot cookies. Let cool completely on the baking sheets.
7. Spread the jam on the cookie bottoms leaving 1/8 inch border around the edges. Add the tops, sugared sides up, and press together gently. Top with more confectioner's sugar before serving.