HAZELNUT CHOCOLATE LINZER COOKIES

Every year I dread when Valentines day rolls around. there is so much waste and pressure to celebrate ROMANTIC LOVE. Yes it is great to celebrate romantic love in all its power however I feel it eliminates celebrating so much more. Why can’t Valentines day be a day to champion ALL love not just romantic. Why can’t it be a day that groups of friends get together and book tables at their favourite wine bars to celebrate the PLATONIC LOVE that joins them all? Because life is a journey and we need so much more than just one type of love.  We need to know/feel that all love given and received is valid. A unifying day for ALL love where we make gifts, dinners, cards or bold gestures that feel real and authentic. It is with love in mind that I present you this very lovely biscuit recipe. It is sugary, buttery and choclate-ly with the faintest hint of almond. Spend a evening rolling and cutting these HAZELNUT CHOCOLATE LINZER COOKIES for yourself or a loved one I promise you that they already are better than anything you can buy. 

Ingredients

250g Unsalted Butter, Softened

165g Caster Sugar

2tsp Vanilla extract

1 egg yolk

335g plain flour

1 tsp almond extract

Hazelnut spread

Icing sugar for dusting

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180ºC.

Beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add the vanilla and egg yolk and beat until combined combine.

Add the flour and beat until a smooth dough forms. Divide and roll the dough into 4 equal discs and wrap in plastic wrap.

Rest the dough for 1 hour

Roll out one disc until about 5mm-thick.

Using the large circle cutter cut out as many cookies as you can from this first batch. Then using the smaller cutter press a hole in exactly half of the cookies (this will be your top) removing the excess dough and adding it to your off cut pile to be re-rolled.

Place the cookies on baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper and bake for 8–10 minutes or until light golden. Allow to cool on wire racks.

Repeat this process with each disc of dough.

Once all the cookies are cooked and cooled dust the cookies with the center cut-out until you cant see any biscuit underneath.

On the base cookie add a small dollop of hazelnut spread and using a butter knife or an offset spatula to move the spread to just before the edges of the cookie.

Place the dusted tops on a bottom to finish.