Ingredients
1
cup sugar
1
cup butter, softened
1
(3-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1
egg
2 3/4
cups All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
1/2
teaspoon baking powder
1/2
cup ground blanched almonds
2
teaspoons grated lemon peel
1
(12-oz.) jar seedless raspberry jam
Powdered sugar
Preparation
In large bowl, combine sugar, butter, cream cheese and egg; beat until light and fluffy. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour, baking powder, almonds and lemon peel; mix at low speed until well blended. Shape dough into 2 disks. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate 2 hours for easier handling.
Heat oven to 350°F. On lightly floured surface, roll out 1 disk of dough at a time to 1/8-inch thickness. Keep remaining dough refrigerated. (Dough will be very stiff.) Cut with floured 3-inch round cutter. In half of cookies, cut and remove 1-inch round or holiday-shaped hole from center. Place on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake at 350°F. for 8 to 9 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool 1 minute. Remove from cookie sheets; place on wire racks. Cool 10 minutes or until completely cooled.
Spread cooled whole cookies with thin layer of jam to within 1/4-inch of edge. Top with cut-out cookies; press gently. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. If desired, top with additional jam in center.
