Linzer Torte

I imagine I'm feeling exactly how new parents feel right now...

That feeling when you pull something you've made from scratch out of the oven, take one look at it and think, "gosh, I could just stare at this thing forever..." Love at first sight.

I've never loved anything more than this fig linzer torte. Not sure if I will ever love anything more than this fig linzer torte.

But I suppose they always say that. The first time torte-ers. Then you make your second and you love it just as much. Or so I'm told. 

This all began when I was dropping something off at the courthouse in Leesburg and happened to be within walking distance of Mom's Apple Pie. Well, what's a gal to do? I could smell the pies from the courthouse. So I stopped in for a slice of my favorite - sour cherry crumb and I picked up a linzer cookie because I can't help myself.

That just opened the floodgates. Mom's Apple Pie Co does a version of a linzer cookie that is more of a sugar cookie. That doesn't take away from its tastiness, but it's not that authentic cinnamon/clove-y type of linzer.

I bought two jars of raspberry jam and put together a plan. But that failed, because as soon as I got home, I realized I had purchased jelly and not jam. Boo. Enter the fig preserves I had on hand and boom. The raspberry torte I was going to make turned in to a fig torte.

I did use the raspberry jelly to make some little linzer cookies with some of the leftover dough. 

Linzertorte

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

Zest of 1 lemon

1 cup whole, unblanched almonds

1 cup powdered sugar

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3 large egg yolks

1 jar raspberry jam (well, or whatever you've got)

additional powdered sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

In a bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Add lemon zest, mix to combine and set aside.

In a food processor, grind the almonds cup of powdered sugar until fine.

In a stand mixer with a paddle, beat the butter until creamy. Add the almond mixture and mix on medium-low speed to combine. Add two egg yolks, blend and reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.

Place roughly 2/3 of the dough into a 9" tart pan with a removable bottom. Wrap the remaining dough in plastic, flatten, and refrigerate. 

Press the dough into tart pan, creating an even layer on the bottom and up the sides. Fill the tart with jam, spreading evenly. 

Remove the slab of dough from the refrigerator and roll it out with a rolling pin, adding flour to the surface if necessary. Cut dough into strips and lay across the top of the tart in a lattice pattern if you possess that skill. If not, just put the strips on top of the tart. Ain't nobody got the right to judge you.

Press the strips into the edge, trimming any excess. 

Place the torte into the freezer for twenty minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Before baking, whisk the remaining egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water and brush over the crust and lattice. Bake for 45-55 minutes, until the crust is browned and the jam is bubbling.

Cool completely.

To jazz it up a bit, you can sprinkle some powdered sugar around the edge. If you want. I won't tell you what to do.

Like I said, I had some extra dough (because I don't like a super thick crust, I set some scraps aside to make the cookies). 

The Linzer cookies are sandwich cookies with two layers of cookie and jam in between. These little guys were awesome. 

Bake these little cookies at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Let them cool, dust the cookies cut with the window with powdered sugar. Spread jam filling in a thin layer over the cookie without the window and sandwich together. 

Linzer craving: satisfied.