Linzer Hearts: The Original Gangsters 

These Linser Hearts are the traditional version with raspberry filling and a powdered sugar top. They are the originals of the versions I made (links below) and have the original flower mix (see  Baking Flours 411 for substitution possibilities). 

Ingredients:

1c         butter
3/4c     sugar
1/2tsp  vanilla
2c         All-Purpose flour
1tsp      salt
1c          chopped pecans or walnuts (optional, but deeeeelicious)
Powdered Sugar
Raspberry Preserves
(I like to use Bonne Maman Raspberry Preserves, which can easily be found at Safeway)

Make the Cookies

Cream butter and sugar in mixer on high. Add in vanilla and mix until incorporated. In a separate bowl, sift together flour and salt. Slowly add flour to butter mixer 1/2 cup at a time until incorporated. Then mix in your nuts until blended. Chill for 1 hour.

Roll out chilled cookie dough on floured surface to 1/8 – 1/4 inch thickness. To make layered cookies, use one large and one small heart-shaped cookie cutter (I like Williams Sonoma’s De Buyer Cookie Cutter sets). Cut one heart with a hole, one without. 

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until edges turn a tiny bit golden brown on a silicon baking mat. Let cookies cool while you drink wine and, if you’re anal retentive, go find all my Linszer spelling mistakes. 

Assembly

To assemble, cover the solid heart with the raspberry preserves. Dust the cut-out heart with powdered sugar either using a sifter or a fine-meshed sieve. Press together like a sandwhich. Except much yummier and prettier!