Linzer Perec
Linzer Perec
This delicate butter cookie earned Helen Salata an honorable mention in the 2004 contest. Salata's mother created the recipe through trial and error after arriving in the U.S. as a young and inexperienced cook.Chilling time: 30 minutes
Yield: 90 cookies
Prep Time
1
hour
Cook Time
0
minutes
Servings
1
Total time: 1 hour
Ingredients
- 21/2 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 egg white, beaten
- 1/4 cup apricot preserves or preserve flavor of choice
Directions
- 1. Sift together flour and baking soda; set aside. Beat butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Add sugar, egg yolks and lemon zest, beating until creamy. Add flour mixture and milk, alternating gradually until the dough comes together and becomes smooth but not hard, with no ingredients sticking to the sides or bottom of bowl.
- 2. Pat the dough into three rounds. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
- 3. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out the first round to about 38-inch thick. Cut into circles with 11/2-inch cookie cutter. Make a 3/4-inch hole in the center of half of the rounds with a thimble or non-piping end of a pastry tip. Brush tops (the pieces with holes) with egg white; lightly dip in sugar. Place tops and bottoms on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until beginning to brown around the edges, about 8 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough.
- 4. To assemble, spread preserves lightly on cookie bottoms; cover with tops, pressing gently to avoid cracking.