Linzer Flower Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup blanched hazelnuts, toasted
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
• ½ cup jam

Instructions

1. 1
   Pulse hazelnuts in a food processor until finely ground.
2. 2
   In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and beat until smooth. Beat in vanilla.
3. 3
   Whisk together ground hazelnuts, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Add to butter mixture; beat on low speed until just combined. Divide dough in half; shape each half into a flat disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
4. 4
   Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough 1/4 inch thick. Using a 3 1/2-inch flower-shaped cutter, cut out cookies. (If dough becomes too soft, freeze 10 minutes.) Using a large spatula, transfer to prepared baking sheets. Using a 3/4-inch petal-shaped cutter, cut out centers of petals from half the cookies. Repeat process with remaining disk of dough. Gather scraps from both disks, reroll, and cut.
5. 5
   Bake, rotating halfway through, until edges are slightly golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cool completely.
6. 6
   Lightly sift confectioners’ sugar over cookies with cutout petals. Spread a heaping teaspoon of jam on each solid cookie; carefully sandwich with sugared cookies.