Linzer Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 0.5 teaspoons baking soda
• 0.25 teaspoons salt
• 0.25 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 0.75 cups white sugar
• 0.5 cups butter at room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
• 0.25 cups seedless raspberry jam
• 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar , or as needed

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a bowl using a whisk.

2. 2

   Beat white sugar and butter together with an electric mixer on high in a bowl until light and fluffy; add egg and almond extract. Beat until well blended.

3. 3

   Gradually beat flour mixture into sugar-butter mixture until dough is soft. Divide dough into 2 equal balls and wrap each portion in plastic wrap. Chill dough in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

4. 4

   Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

5. 5

   Roll 1 dough ball into a 1/8-inch thick rectangle on a lightly floured surface; cut into 32 cookies using a square, star, or circular cookie cutter. Repeat with the second dough ball. Cut out the center of 32 cookies using a 1-inch square cookie cutter. Arrange all 64 cookies on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart.

6. 6

   Bake cookies in the preheated oven until edges are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool on pans for 5 minutes before transferring cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

7. 7

   Spread about 1/2 teaspoon raspberry jam into the center of each whole cookie. Sprinkle the cut-out cookies with confectioners' sugar; place 1 cut-out cookie atop each raspberry jam-topped cookie.