Showing through apple-shaped openings, store-bought apple butter fills these toothsome oat and toasted pecan butter cookies. Pictured with our Rosy Apple Tartlets and Apple Cupcakes with Cardamom–Cream Cheese Whipped Frosting.
Oat-Pecan Linzer Cookies with Apple Butter Filling
Serves: 36 to 42
Ingredients
- 2 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons pecans, toasted
- 1⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Garnish: cane sugar
- 3⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons apple butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse together flour, pecans, and oats until well combined and fine.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar with a mixer at high speed until thick and creamy, approximately 5 minutes. Beat in egg. Stir in vanilla extract.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour mixture, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating just until dough comes together. Divide dough into 2 equal portions and shape each portion into a disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour.
- Working with only one dough portion at a time, unwrap dough and place on a floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to a 1⁄8-inch thickness. (If dough is too firm to roll out, let stand for 10 minutes at room temperature to soften a bit.) Using a 1 7⁄8-inch fluted round cutter dipped in flour, cut as many cookies as possible from dough. Place cookies 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Using a 3⁄4-inch apple-shaped Linzer cutter, cut and discard centers from half of cookies.
- Garnish cut-out cookies with a sprinkle of cane sugar, if desired.
- Bake until edges of cookies are light golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks, and let cool completely. Store at room temperature in an airtight container and use within 3 days.
- Just before serving, spread flat side of each whole cookie with apple butter. Top each with a cut-out cookie, sugar side up. Fill center shapes with more apple butter. Sprinkle with extra sugar, if desired.
