Fig Linzer Cookies : Its an Austrian Pastry!

Linzers cookies one of the most famous cookies of Austria . Now ,how did i stumble upon the Austrian recipe ? I googled for sandwich cookies and i found these Austrian delights. Ha, thats the magic of Google.The original recipe is posted here, I made a low-fat version with few changes in the ingredients.

Linzer cookies are crisp toasty cookies sandwiched together with a delicious fruit filling(Usually berries or figs) are perfect for tea time snack or Kiddie lunch box snack .You could even gift a box of these healthy decadent cookies to your fortunate friends or colleagues at work.

Ingredients

For the cookies
3/4 cup all purpose flour, plus extra for rolling the dough
3/4 cup Whole Wheat flour
1/2 cup Blanched or Sliced Almonds,toasted and ground(Hazelnuts or Pecans can also be used)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoon Olive oil
2 tablespoon butter, softened
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 Organic egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
zest of 1 orange, finely grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
Granular sugar for topping

For Filling
3/4 cup of Fig Jam(recipe follows) or store-brought raspberry jam

Makes about 12 medium sandwiches cookies.

Method
Preheat oven to 325° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or non stick baking mats.
Prepare the Dough
Sift together the flours, baking powder, cinnamon and salt;Mix in the ground almond and set aside.

Beat the Oil,butter,the sugar and egg in a large bowl until smooth and fluffy. Then stir in the vanilla and fully incorporate. Add the sifted flour mixture, and mix until just combined.

Form the dough into a ball, cut in half, flatten into a disk and wrap each half in plastic. Chill the dough until firm, at 30 minutes.
Roll the Cookies
Roll out one half of the dough into a 1/8 inch thick rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Using cookie cutters(Rectangle or Circle or Heart Shape), cut out as many cookies as possible from the dough. With a spatula, carefully transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet and place about 1 inch apart. Using a smaller cutter of the same shape, cut out the centers from half the cookies (this will form the top of the sandwich); reserve the scraps and re-roll with the other chilled half of dough. Repeat this process with the other half of the dough.Top the cookies with the middles cut with some granule sugar .
Bake
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven until the edges are golden, about 12-15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Assemble the Sandwich
Spread about a teaspoon of the fig jam(recipe below) on the cookie bottoms. Sandwich with the cookies with the middles cut out. Enjoy with a cup of hot tea,coffee or milk. Stores in air cookies jar for about 3-4 days, mine didn't last for more than 12 hours!

To make the Dried Fig Jam

Ingredients
8-10 figs, dried or Ripe,stem cut off and chopped
1 cup of water for dried and 1/2 cup if using fresh figs
2 tablespoon lemon juice,fresh squeezed
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom(Elaichi)

Method
Place figs in a medium pot and add the water,cook for medium heat for about 30 minutes until figs are all soft and tender. Add lemon juice , stir and simmer another 5-10 minutes until most of the water is dry. Process in blender or food processor in to fine paste. Store in Sterilized jar, use on toasts or for making sandwich cookies.


These cookies are low in sugar ,good for snacking and nutritious enough for a kiddie lunch box. I'm sending this recipe to Vandana's Lunch Box Special Event.