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Journal-News.com

Raspberry-Filled Lemon Cookies

Makes about 5 dozen
2 1/2 cups unsalted butter (5 sticks) at room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon oil *
3 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1 scant teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 13-ounce jar seedless raspberry jam *

Before starting the recipe, pay attention to these tips from Linda Johnson:

• Roll these cookies out on Silpat or a marble slab, because the dough is so temperature-sensitive. “If the dough becomes too warm and gets sticky, I just place the dough on the Silpat or slab into the freezer for a few minutes, and it comes out easier to work with again.” Both Silpat and the Microplane are available at cookware shops.

• And use a Microplane grater to zest the lemon. The volume will be different if you use a box grater or zester.

To prepare cookies: Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes depending on the type of mixer used. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, lemon oil, lemon zest and salt and mix well. With a spatula add the flour one cup at a time, mixing only until combined. Do NOT beat with a mixer. Divide dough into four parts and form into discs. Wrap each disc in parchment paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take one disc of dough out of the refrigerator and set on the counter for 15 minutes. Dust the rolling surface and rolling pin lightly with flour to prevent sticking. The dough will be stiff to roll in the beginning, but will begin to warm up quickly and will roll easier. Roll the disc into a rectangle  1/8-inch thick. Use a 2.5-inch biscuit cutter to cut out cookies. Use a smaller cutter to cut the center out of half the cookies. Use a spatula to transfer the unbaked cookies to a parchment-paper-lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate unbaked cookies on a cookie sheet for about 10 minutes before baking. Warm raspberry jam, either on the stove or in the microwave, to make spreading on cookies easier. Bake cookies for five minutes. Remove from the oven and place one-half teaspoon of jam on center of each full cookie, then place one cutout cookie on top to form a sandwich. Put pan back into the oven to bake for another 5 to 6 minutes, until they are very lightly browned on the edges. Transfer to cooling racks. Once cooled, the tops of the cookies can be lightly sprinkled with confectioners sugar.

* Lemon oil, in smaller bottles than lemon extract, is available at some supermarkets and health food stores.

** Or strain seeds from regular raspberry jam.

To store: Allow cookies to cool completely. Layer a sheet of parchment paper between each layer of cookies in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. They can also be frozen for up to two months.

Note: Scraps of dough can be rewrapped in parchment paper, refrigerated to chill, then rolled out again for cutting and baking.