These darling cookies utilize maple syrup, spelt flour, almond flour, and a no-sugar-added fruit spread to create a healthier sweet alternative for a festive Valentine-themed affair.
Apricot-Spelt Linzer Cookies
Makes approximately 18
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups sprouted spelt flour*
- ½ cup blanched almond flour
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 tablespoons no-sugar-added fruit spread**
- Garnish: freeze-dried raspberry powder
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat butter with a mixer at low speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in syrup, egg, and almond extract at medium speed until combined, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flours and salt. Add to butter mixture, beating until combined and a dough forms.
- Turn out dough onto a lightly floured* surface, shape into a disk, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
- Preheat oven to 325°. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Unwrap dough and place on a lightly floured surface*. Roll out dough to a scant ¼-inch thickness. Using a 2½-inch heart-shaped cutter dipped in flour, cut 36 cookies from dough, rerolling scraps as necessary. Place 18 cookies, evenly spaced, on each prepared baking sheet. Using a 1¼-inch heart-shaped cutter, cut and discard centers from 18 cookies on one baking sheet.
- Bake until edges of cookies are light golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through baking time. Let cool on baking sheets for 3 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks, and let cool completely. Store at room temperature in an airtight container with layers separated by wax paper and use within 4 days.
- Just before serving, garnish cutout cookies with a dusting of freeze-dried raspberry powder, if desired. Spoon ½ teaspoon fruit spread onto whole cookies. Top each with a cutout cookie, powder side up. Serve within an hour.
Notes
*We used The Sprouted Flour spelt flour.
**We used Crofter’s Just Fruit Spread Organic Apricot.
**We used Crofter’s Just Fruit Spread Organic Apricot.
