Walnut Linzer Tarts
Chef Trent Page
Whole Foods Markets
San Francisco
Jam-filled linzer tarts are a favorite classic cookie that melt in the mouth. Chef Trent Page sticks pretty much to the original version, adding ground toasted walnuts to the buttery dough and putting a little crunch in the topping. Instead of sprinkling the baked cookies with powdered sugar, he makes a quick icing that incorporates chopped walnuts.
Ingredients
Dough and filling
1½ cups butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup walnuts, toasted and finely ground
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup raspberry jam
Icing
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract or rum
Steps
- For dough, in bowl with mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. In small bowl, whisk together flour, ground walnuts and cinnamon. Stir flour mixture into butter until well blended.
- Divide dough into 3 pieces and shape into discs. Wrap well with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment.
- On lightly floured surface, roll out each disc to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 1½-inch round fluted cookie cutter, cut dough into rounds. Use a small cutter to make holes in the center of half the rounds. Arrange on parchment-lined baking sheets about 1 inch apart and chill in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- Bake cookies in center of preheated oven, one sheet at a time, for 15 minutes or until they are pale golden. Transfer to rack and let cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
- In bowl, whisk together confectioner’s sugar and vanilla or rum. Brush over cookies with cutouts and sprinkle with finely chopped walnuts. Spoon approximately 1 teaspoon of jam onto the bottom side of the solid cookies. Top with cutout cookies. Repeat with remaining cookies.
Photography courtesy of California Walnuts