->Linzer Hearts <-

1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 egg yolks

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

pinch of salt

1 tablespoon ice water

granualted sugar for rolling cookies

1/3 cup seedless red raspberry jam

confectioner's sugar, for sprinkling

With an electric mixer, cream the butter until it is soft and light.

Add the sugar; continue beating until it is all incorporated. Add

the egg yolks, one at a time, then beat in the flour, salt and ice

water. When the mixture is not quite smooth, remove the beaters

from the bowl and turn the dough out onto a counter sprinkled

lightly with flour. Knead the dough lightly half a dozen times,

until you can form it into a smooth, flat cake. Wrap it tightly in

plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 20 minutes. Sprinkle a pastry

board or a clean countertop lightly with granulated sugar. Roll

out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Use the larger cutter to stamp

out 28 hearts, reshaping and rerolling the scraps when necessary.

Use a wide metal spatula to transfer 14 of the hearts to a very

lightly buttered baking sheet.Use the smaller cutter to stamp out

the centers of the remaining 14 hearts. Carefully transfer both

the small centers and the heart borders to the baking sheet.

375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until

cookies are barely golden on the edges.Remove from the baking sheet

and transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Use the small hearts

as is. Assemble the remaining hearts in the following way: Set

the large whole hearts on a board and use a small metal palette

knife to spread them with raspberry jam to within 1/4 inch of the

edge. Put a heart frame on top of each jam-covered heart; press

them together very gently. Sprinkle the edges of the sandwiched

cookies with confectioners' sugar and serve a once.

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for several

days.