LINZER BARS
Ingredients
- 1/2 .5 .5pound POUNDWeightwhole shelled hazelnuts
- 1 1 1cup CUP_USVolumecake flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1/2 .5 .5pound POUNDWeightunsalted butter, room temperature, cut into chunks
- 1 1 1cup CUP_USVolumesugar
- 1/2 .5 .5teaspoon TEASPOON_USVolumeground cinnamon
- 1/4 .25 .25teaspoon TEASPOON_USVolumeground cloves
- 1 1 1teaspoon TEASPOON_USVolumelemon zest
- 1 1 1egg
- 1 1/2 1.5 1.5cups CUP_USVolumeraspberry jam
- Powdered sugar, for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and position rack in the middle of the oven. Spread hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven until golden, about 10 minutes. Empty nuts onto a folded towel, enclosing them between the folds, and rub them to remove their skins. Transfer the nuts to a strainer and carefully discard remaining skins. Allow nuts to cool to room temperature.
- Put the hazelnuts in a food processor fitted with the stainless-steel blade and pulse a few times. Add cake flour and process until the nuts are finely ground. Set aside.
- In a mixer add butter, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and lemon zest and beat on medium speed until light and creamy using the paddle attachment. Turn off mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and then add the egg and continue mixing at medium speed for 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low, add the hazelnut-flour mixture, and continue mixing until well blended into a smooth dough.
- Divide the dough into 2 portions of 1/3 and 2/3 of the dough (or 8 ounces and 16 ounces). Transfer the smaller portion to a medium pastry bag fitted with a number 1 plain tip and set aside. Take the remaining dough and form into a 1-inch flat disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- With a marking pen, trace a 16 by 13-inch rectangle shape on parchment paper. Place paper, marked side down, onto a baking sheet. With the reserved dough in the pastry bag, pipe straight parallel lines, about 1-inch apart, inside the marked rectangle. Then pipe a second set of parallel lines at a 45 degree angle to the first set of lines to make a trellis shape. Refrigerate until well chilled before using.
- Lightly dust a pastry board or work surface with remaining cake flour. Roll out the dough to a rectangular shape, about 15 by 12 inches by 1/4-inch thick. Transfer dough to a parchment lined baking sheet and trim any excess dough to make an even rectangle. Bake for 20 minutes or until dough starts to color. Remove baking sheet from the oven and transfer to a rack and cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Spread raspberry jam over the entire surface of the cooled dough. Carefully place the refrigerated trellis-shaped dough over the jam and return to the oven to bake for 20 minutes or until crust is golden. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting. Trim the edges and cut into 3 by 1-inch bars. Lightly dust bars with powdered sugar before serving.
ABOUT THIS RECIPE