Blueberry Linzer Cookies

Here’s a classic Christmas cookie, but with a BC twist – it’s made with blueberries! They’re a little work, but these cookies are just as delicious as they are beautiful!

JAM FILLING:
1 cup 150g BC Blueberries- fresh or frozen
1 cup 165g Sugar
1 pkg 185ml Liquid Pectin/ or ½ pkg.-28g of powdered pectin
1 tbsp 15ml Lemon zest
1 tbsp 15ml Lemon Juice

COOKIES:
2 cups 260g cake and pastry flour
½ tsp 5ml Baking powder
¼ tsp pinch Salt
1 cup 160g Almonds
¼ cup 40g Sugar
1 cup 240g Unsalted Butter- room temperature
½ cup 80g Sugar
1 large 50g Egg
1 large 15g Egg yolk
1 tsp 5ml Finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp 5ml Vanilla Extract
¼ cup 40g Confectioners’ Sugar

Directions:

Jam Filling
Starting on a medium heat, in a small saucepan, mash and break down the blueberries using a potato masher. Add the sugar, pectin, lemon zest and lemon juice, raise the heat and bring to a rolling boil for 1-2 minutes.

Set aside and cool at room temperature.

Cookies

• In a 350F/160C oven bake almonds until fragrant and toasted, approximately 5 minutes, allow to cool.
• Place the cooled almonds and ¼ cup of sugar in a food processer and process until finely ground. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  In a large bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, beat together the butter and ½ cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs. Mix in the almond/sugar mixture, lemon zest and vanilla.
• Mix in the flour mixture in three intervals, do not over mix.
  Divide the dough into 2, half-inch thick discs, then wrap tightly in cellophane and refrigerate until chilled and firm, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
• Place rack in the centre of the oven, and pre- heat to 350F/160C. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow to stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes.
• On a generously floured surface, roll out the dough until about ⅛ – ¼ inch thick. Using a 2” or 3” decorative cookie cutter, cut out cookies and place one inch apart on the prepared cookie sheet.
• Using a smaller 1” cookie cutter with decorative shape, cut out the centers of half of the unbaked cookies, this will be the top half of the cookie sandwich.
• Bake the cookies for 10-13 minutes at 350F/160C until a very light golden. Cookies with cut-outs (for the top) will bake slightly quicker. Allow to cool.
•  Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Sprinkle icing sugar over the cut-out tops of the cooled cookies.
• Dollop approximately 1 tsp of the blueberry jam filling in the centre of the bottom halves of the cooled cookies.
• Top with the sugared, cut out cookies and gently sandwich together.

Cookies can be stored in an air tight container for 2-4 days, however best assembled to the day of consuming.
Makes 24 – 36 cookies

Recipe courtesy of BC Blueberry Council

http://www.bcblueberry.com/