Old-Fashioned Jelly Cookies

By norsegal8

These buttery sandwich cookies are very delicate. When cutting them out, don't let the diameter exceed 2 inches.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup butter, cut into slices, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg, separated
• 1/3 cup finely ground almonds
• 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar
• fruit jam (approximately 1/2 cup)

Details

Servings 50

Preparation

Step 1

In a large mixing bowl or food processor, combine the flour, butter, 1/2 cup of the sugar and the egg yolk and blend until a smooth dough is formed. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured board, roll the dough out to a 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out an even number of 2-inch rounds. Using a thimble or a 1/2-inch diameter round cutter, cut out the centers of half of the cookies (or use linzer cutters). Brush the cookies with the centers cut out with egg white and sprinkle with the almonds and the remaining sugar. Leave the whole rounds plain.

Cover several baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the cookies on the prepared sheets and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until set and just barely golden around the edges. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool.

Top the cookies without holes with about 1/2 teaspoon fruit jelly or jam. Top with the cookies with the centers removed, almond-sugar side up, to make sandwiches.