Lemon Poppy Linzer Cookies – Vegan & Gluten Free

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons coconut oil, solid - organic, virgin 
• ¼ cup neutral oil*, such as safflower oil
• 2 tablespoons organic pure cane sugar 
• 2 ½ teaspoons lemon rind, finely grated 
• ½ cup confectioner's sugar, divided (check ingredients for gluten free - most are)
• ⅔ cups slivered almonds, to grind 
• ½ teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 cup gluten free all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
• 2 tablespoons raspberry jam** or your favorite jam

Instructions

1. How this recipe works: The dough is easy to work with! Comes together in a shiny ball, then rolled to 1/4 inch thick in-between waxed paper sheets. Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter and place on a cookie sheet. Create "dot" openings with the end of a pastry tip... or indent with your fingers. Fill holes with your favorite jam, and refrigerate the sheet until the cookies are cold - this insures they will hold their shape. Bake until crispy and enjoy!
2. To prepare: Measure confectioner's sugar in a 1/2 c. dry measuring cup. Take out  2T. of the confectioner's sugar and add with and almonds to a small food processor and run until finely ground (the sugar helps to keep it dry and not a paste.) Set aside.
3. Place the solid coconut oil, neutral oil, cane sugar and lemon rind in the bowl of a stand mixer. Blend for 30 seconds. Add the remaining confectioner's sugar and blend using a moderate speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Scrape sides with a rubber spatula.
4. Add the almond extract, ground almonds, gluten free flour and poppy seeds. Mix on low speed for 1 minute. Will be a little crumbly.
5. Tear a large sheet of waxed paper (about 18" long) on your work surface. Gather the dough with your hands, and shape it into a ball on one side of the paper. Cover with the paper, roll to 1/4" thick - about an 8' x 9" rectangle. Place on a sheet pan and refrigerate 10 -15 minutes until just firm.
6. Now, uncover the dough and cut 2 1/2 inch cookies with a cookie cutter. Oil a cookie sheet lightly and add the cookies 1" apart.
7. Using the end of a pastry tip (about 1/2" wide) , cut out 3 "holes." Add back just a little dough with your fingers into each hole, so that the jam will fit in like a pocket (see picture # 5 in the blog.) Can also make indentations with your finger. Fill each hole with desired jam. Use a small spoon, or fill use a pastry bag with a small flat tip.
8. Refrigerate the cookie sheet until very firm, about 20 minutes - this ensures the cookies keep their shape. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
9. Bake until golden around the edges 15 - 18 minutes. Cool on the sheet a few minutes, then remove to cool fully on a baking rack.
10. The dough is made in a stand mixer, although you can whisk the dough in the beginning, and fold in remaining dry ingredients with a rubber spatula.
11. ** use the jam of your choice. Try a natural raspberry jam with seeds (ingredients raspberries and sugar) or try my Quick Orange Marmalade (see recipe.)

* with concerns about gmo’s and processing of oils, use a vegetable oil which has not been chemically treated, this is called “expeller pressed.”

See BLOG for many photos and how-to's.

This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of its author, Karen Sheer.