ENRICO BISCOTTI’S LINZERS
PG tested
Jam-filled linzers were a part of every event in Larry Lagattuta’s extended family while he was growing up, and now they’re a customer favorite at Enrico Biscotti Co., his bakery in the Strip District. A holiday classic, they’re super easy to make at home in large part because the butterenriched dough is so easy to work with.
“The trick is to not flour the board too much while you’re rolling out the cookies,” he advises.
Another tip: If you want the jam to show through the hole in the middle, dust the cutout cookies with powdered sugar before you assemble the layers.
1½ pounds butter (6 sticks)
8 ounces powdered sugar, plus more for dusting 6 egg yolks
7 cups flour
Your favorite jam or Nutella, for filling
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg yolks and mix until blended, then add flour.
Roll the dough onto a lightly floured board or counter until it is about ¼inch thick. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut into rounds. On half of the cut cookies, use a smaller cookie cutter to make a hole in the center.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until slightly brown. Let them cool.
Cover the bottom cookie with your favorite jam or Nutella and place the one with the small hole on top so the filling shows through. If you want to dust the top cookie with powdered sugar, do that first before putting them together so the filling shows through. Handle them on the edges so you don’t make fingerprints on top. Makes 24 cookies.
— “My Black Book” by Larry Lagattuta (Enrico Biscotti Co. Publishing, $29.95)