Valentine’s Day is almost here! Valentine’s is one of my favorite holidays {because the stores are filled with cute heart products plus it’s a day to commemorate those who mean the world to you). I love to share this day with my loved ones whether it’s with the bf, family or friends. Plus, my baby brother’s birthday is also on Valentine’s Day too, so it’s an extra special day!
Today, I’m sharing a recipe that you can make for your sweetheart or loved ones. This Italian raspberry + nutella linzer almond heart sandwich cookie recipe, adapted from Real Simple is a winner. The cookies are too cute + yummy!
INGREDIENTS
- 2/3 cup almonds
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup {2 sticks} unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- confectioners’ sugar
- jar of raspberry jam
- jar of nutella {chocolate hazelnut spread}
PREP THE ALMOND MIXTURE
1// Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place almonds on a baking pan and toast for 6-8 minutes. Let the almonds cool down.
2// In a food processor, add the toasted almonds and brown sugar. Process until the almonds are finely ground.
PREPARE THE COOKIE DOUGH
1// In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
2// In a separate bowl, beat the butter and white sugar on medium-high speed with an electric mixer. Mix until it’s fluffy {2-4 minutes}. Then beat in the egg and vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the almond mixture and flour mixer. Mix until all of it’s combined {should be a doughy texture}.
3// Divide the dough in half and shape them into a ball. Put the dough in a ziploc bag {or plastic wrap} and refrigerate until firm {1-3 hours}.
BAKE THE COOKIES
1// Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle some flour on your surface {I laid out a large piece of parchment paper} and roll out each piece of dough to about 1/8 inch thickness. Use a 2-1/2 wide heart cookie cutter, cut the dough into heart shapes. Then use a 1-1/4 wide heart cookie cutter to cut the centers {this will be the top layer of the cookie}. I baked the mini inside hearts too {or you can reroll the scraps to make hearts for your cookies}.
2// Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are golden. Let it cool before you start frosting the first layer.
SANDWICH THE COOKIES
1// Sprinkle the confectioners’s sugar on the cookies with the holes + mini hearts if you decided to bake them {use a mesh strainer to dust the powdered sugar onto the cookies}
2// Spread a layer of raspberry jam or nutella on the remaining cookies {the ones without the holes} and top with the sugared cookies to make a sandwich.
And there you have it, cute heart raspberry + nutella linzer almond heart sandwich cookies. Happy baking!
{Photos by Tiffany Nguyen}