Linzer Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 cup butter softened
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 
• 1  eggs 
• 2.5 cups flour all-purpose
• 0.3 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 0.8 cup hazelnuts (filberts)
• 0.5 cup brown sugar light packed
• 26 servings powdered sugar 
• 0.5 cup raspberry jam seedless
• 0.5 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 

Equipment

• food processor
• bowl
• baking sheet
• oven
• wire rack
• plastic wrap
• baking pan
• hand mixer
• cookie cutter
• kitchen towels
• rolling pin

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350F.
2. Spread hazelnuts in ungreased shallow baking pan.
3. Bake uncovered about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Rub nuts in a kitchen towel to remove loose skins (some skins may not come off); cool 5 to 10 minutes. Turn off oven.
4. In food processor bowl with metal blade, place nuts and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar . Cover; process with about 10 on-and-off pulses, 2 to 3 seconds each, until nuts are finely ground but not oily.
5. In small bowl, mix flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside.
6. In large bowl, beat butter and remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar with electric mixer on medium speed about 3 minutes or until smooth.
7. Add nut mixture; beat about 1 minute or until mixed. Beat in egg and vanilla. With spoon, stir in flour mixture about 1 minute or just until blended. Shape dough into 2 balls; flatten each ball into a disk. Wrap separately in plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 2 hours until firm.
8. Heat oven to 425F.
9. Remove 1 dough disk from refrigerator. On well floured surface, roll dough with floured rolling pin until about 1/8 inch thick.
10. Cut with 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter in desired shape. On ungreased cookie sheets, place cutouts about 1 inch apart.
11. Roll and cut other half of dough. Using a 1-inch square or round cutter, cut out the center of half of the cookies. Reroll dough centers and cut out more cookies.
12. Bake 4 to 5 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.
13. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool about 10 minutes.
14. Lightly sprinkle powdered sugar over cookies with center cutouts. Or drizzle with powdered sugar icing, and sprinkle with colored sugars or decors.
15. Spread about 1 teaspoon raspberry jam over bottom side of each whole cookie. Top with a cutout cookie. Cool completely, about 1 hour.