Name: Linzer Augen (Linzer Eye Cookies)
Yield: about 24 sandwich cookies
Cuisine: Austria, Romania
Ingredients: 300 g all-purpose flour; 100 g ground almonds or walnuts; 100 g powdered sugar; ½ tsp cinnamon; a pinch of ground clove (optional); a pinch of salt; 200 g cold butter, cubed; 1 egg yolk; 1 tsp vanilla; zest of 1 lemon; 200 g thick jam, such as red currant, raspberry or apricot; powdered sugar, for dusting

Method

Mix the flour (300 g2½ cups), ground almonds (100 g), powdered sugar (100 g¾ cup + 1 tbsp), cinnamon (½ tsp), clove and salt. Cut in the cold butter (200 g¾ cup + 2 tbsp) until sandy. Add the egg yolk (1), vanilla (1 tsp) and zest and press together into a dough without kneading. Wrap and chill 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 340°F (170°C) and line baking sheets.
Roll the dough 4 mm (⅛ inch) thick on a floured surface and cut 2 to 2½ inch (5 to 6 cm) rounds. Cut a small shape from the center of half of them. Re-roll the scraps once.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until pale golden at most. Cool completely.
Dust the cutout tops generously with powdered sugar. Spread about 1 tsp thick jam (200 g) on each solid cookie and press a top onto it, sugar side up.

Notes

Thick jam keeps the edges clean. If yours is loose, reduce it on the stove until it coats a spoon.
Storage. In tins with parchment between layers. They are better after a day, once the jam softens the cookie a little.