Recipe of the Month

Linzer Stars

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup blanched whole almonds
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 1/2 cups Gold Medal™ All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup red currant jelly
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Instructions

1. In a food processor, place almonds and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar. Cover; process until nuts are finely ground in a small bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
2. In a large bowl, beat butter and the remaining 1/4 cup of brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add nut mixture. Beat in egg, lemon peel, and vanilla. On low speed, beat in flour mixture until combined. Shape dough into 2 balls; flatten into rounds; refrigerate 1 hour. 
3. Heat oven to 350°F—line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper. 
4. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with a 3-inch star-shaped cutter. Using a 1-inch star-shaped cookie cutter, cut out a star in the center of half of the cookies. On cookie sheets, place 3-inch cookies 1 inch apart. Place small stars on a separate cookie sheet. 
5. Bake 3-inch cookies 7 to 9 minutes, 1-inch cookies 5 to 6 minutes, or just until golden. Remove to cooling racks; cool completely.
6. In small bowl, microwave jelly on High 15 seconds; stir. Spread about 1 teaspoon jelly on each cookie. Top with cutout cookie. Sift powdered sugar over sandwich cookies and small stars. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon jelly into center of each sandwich cookie.

A Betty Crocker Favorite