Walnut Rye Linzer Cookies

These little beauties are the perfect combination of sweet, salty, and nutty. I adapted the recipe from BakeSmart by Samantha Seneviratne.

In a food processor, blend the nuts and sugar first before adding the remaining dry ingredients. When followed by the wet ingredients there’s a wonderful crumbly mixture ready to form into discs and chill.

After half an hour I rolled the dough on a well floured bench and cut out two inch circles with a scalloped edge biscuit cutter. Then I arranged the cookie dough evenly between two sheet pans lined with parchment.

One sheet I used the small end of a piping tip to remove a perfect circle from the center of the dough; these will be the tops of the Linzer cookie.

Don’t waste those lovely centers. Smash the remnant dough together with your hand to make one additional “chef” cookie to taste test before serving. Can you find it in the photographs above? It’s rustic but the taste is what I’m after.

After baking for about ten minutes I let the rye shortbreads completely cool. During the cooling period a few cookies went missing — I can’t imagine whose tummy they found. Once completely cooled, use a tea infuser or sifter to add powdered sugar to the tops of the Linzer cookies.

To the bottom, spread a generous layer of the jam of your choice. I went for Morello Cherry and there were no complaints.