Linzer Tart Hearts

3 cups of flour
2 cups of confectioners’ sugar
½ TSP of baking powder
Lemon zest from one lemon

Shortly stir together using a hand whisk until nicely combined (about 1 minute).

2 ½ sticks of butter – soft
2 large eggs
1 TSP of Vanilla Extract

Process at a slow speed until all ingredients are partially combined.

Note: The cookie dough will be sticky after processing. It will harden during the following resting time in the fridge.

Tip: If you want to work with the dough soon, form it into a disk, not into a roll shape.

Important: If the dough in the refrigerator fully hardens (if left for a longer time, for example, overnight), remove from the refrigerator about an hour before cookie cutting.

Set oven to preheat to 350°F.

Place the dough on a floured surface and lightly flour the top of the dough.

Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough into about ¼” – 3/8” thickness (based on your preference). If the dough starts sticking, add flour.

Cut the dough into heart shapes using the template below the recipe or your templates.

Important: Keep a matching bottom part for each heart without any openings cut.

Tip: Bake and keep the shapes you cut out from each heart because they can be glued onto the hearts as a final step with extra preserves for an even better visual effect!

Important: Make sure they are not touching each other.

Tip: From the dough leftovers, cut a few bonus cookies for the baker 😊. Or, to make it even easier, place the leftover dough on the baking sheet and bake it along with the hearts (they will not look as pretty, but they will taste just the same).

Bake in a preheated oven until fully baked. The surface turns from a doughy texture to solid but slightly fluffy (about 12 – 15 minutes).

Note: Right after baking, the cookies have a soft texture, which can make some people confused and think it is a sign of underbaking; this is why some people tend to extend the baking time and overbake cookies. To ensure cookies are properly baked, watch the surface texture and bake the cookies for at least 10 minutes to reach the best results.

Note: The heart shapes are very large, which makes them more fragile than smaller cookies. Not moving them before they are fully cooled will prevent cracking.

Tip: Use an icing spatulas for easy manipulation, especially with the top parts.

Then, using an offset spatula or a dull knife, scoop a small amount of preserves and gently spread it onto each of the small and medium cookies that were cut out from the top part of the heart. Place them (glue them) around the perimeter of the larger cookie.

Note: After that, the cookies do not have to be stored in the refrigerator.

Sprinkle it with confectioners’ sugar right before serving or wrap in cellophane for the perfect gift.