Last weekend, with the rather uncertain weather, I thought it was quite nice to turn on the oven again and dedicate myself to making these cookies, which are truly special! The warmth in the kitchen and their fragrance throughout the house was fully satisfying, but once they cooled and were filled, the best moment was tasting them! I must tell you right away that crumbliness and deliciousness will take center stage! Yes, because these cookies will be a sweet surprise for the palate in terms of texture and flavor. They are real pastries made with almond shortcrust pastry that literally melts in your mouth. Moreover, they are enriched with an irresistible almond and chopped hazelnut cream, so satisfying that you won’t be able to stop at just one! So, double the doses if, like me, you love having a good supply in the pantry for special occasions! They are really easy to make and will be perfect for a delicious snack, a five o’clock tea, or a sweet treat at the end of a meal, accompanied by an amaro or aromatic liqueur.

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Medium
Rest time: 1 Hour
Preparation time: 10 Minutes
Portions: About 25
Cooking methods: Oven
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients for the Almond Shortcrust

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup almond flour
7 oz brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup butter
1 pinch salt
6 3/4 oz almond spread (mine was enriched with chopped hazelnuts, Deluxe line – Lidl)
as needed powdered sugar

Preparation:

First, prepare the almond shortcrust pastry, following all the steps of the basic recipe, until you get a smooth and compact dough, which you will let rest in the fridge wrapped in food wrap for 1 hour (fig. 1)
After the resting time, roll out the dough with a rolling pin on a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of 1/5 inch, and using a circular cutter, cut out many discs, then make a central hole in half of the prepared shapes (fig. 2).
Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 9/10 minutes or until lightly golden (fig. 3).
Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack (fig. 4).
At this point, I recommend warming the almond cream for a few seconds in the microwave or in a bain-marie so that it is easier to spread on the cookies (fig. 5).
Once spread, pair the cookies (fig. 6).
Serve with powdered sugar to taste.
And there you have it… your almond linzer cookies are ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appetit from the kitchen of FeFè!