Since friends have asked for some of my favorite recipes, I’ll be adding them to my blogs from time to time. The one below is a delicious dessert for any occasion that I adapted from the original. I hope you give it a try and enjoy the results. The original recipe is found in the ELSAH LANDING RESTAURANT COOKBOOK first printed in the USA by Sayers Communications Group, Inc. in 1981, and found on  page 124.      

LINZER COOKIES

1 cup butter, softened (two sticks)

½ cup sugar

2 cups flour

¼ teaspoon of salt

1. You can leave the butter on the kitchen counter top to soften, but if you are in a hurry just put both sticks in a large microwave safe bowl, cover and microwave for about 30 to 60 seconds. If it melts completely, that’s okay too. The dough will be very soft and pliable.

2. Measure the flour and salt into a smaller bowl, using a sifter to ensure the flour is smooth and the salt fully incorporated. Set aside.

3. Add the ½ cup of sugar to the melted butter and beat until creamy.

4. Gradually add the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat until the dough is smooth.

5. Using a measuring teaspoon to scoop out the dough, form it into a ball and then flatten the ball onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.

6. Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 9 minutes until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges.

Remove to a cooling rack. I place two large sheets of aluminum foil on my kitchen counter and remove the cooled cookies from the rack and place them on the foil. Then I add a quarter teaspoon of raspberry, apricot or orange marmalade to the top of each cookie and place another cookie on top. VOILA! You have a Linzer sandwich cookie. And using the foil makes cleanup extremely easy.

Then, holding a strainer filled with powdered sugar over the cookies, apply a light sprinkling on top. It makes for a pretty presentation and adds a bit more sweetness. The cookies are not overly sweet, so the added powdered sugar on top does not overwhelm the buttery taste of the cookie itself.

If you prefer, instead of sprinkling with powdered sugar, you can use a quick and easy icing glaze on top of each cookie and serve them singly.

Place one cup of powdered sugar in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add three tablespoons of lemon juice. Whisk well. If you wish, add a few drops of liquid food coloring to achieve just a hint of color to your icing.

Holding each cookie between your fingers, lightly dip the top side in the glaze and place it on the sheet of aluminum foil to dry.

Once dry, store the cookies in an airtight container for up to one week. But I doubt the cookies will last that long because they are so delicious!