Sticky Linzer Bars

A delicious disaster... 

Raspberry Jam-y!

I made this Raspberry Linzer Bars while on Spring Break at Aunt Nancy's. I brought with me a few of my new/favorite cookbooks, just in case we had time to bake. I had just recently purchased the Milk and Cookies Cookbook and I couldn't wait to use it. Aunt Nancy and cousin Eva helped me make these Linzer bars. But everything went very wrong.  Aunt Nancy checked her pantry before we went to the grocery store, we bought everything we needed. As I started to gather ingredients, I noticed that the hazelnut flour was rather low. We carried on with the recipe using what hazelnut flour we had and making up with almond flour and all-purpose flour. BIG MISTAKE!  BIG, BIG MISTAKE!  


The dough was super sticky and practically unworkable. But we pushed on and rolled it out the best we could, with a lot of flour covering every surface this dough touched. I rolled it out on a silpat, thinking that between the flour and the surface of the silpat the dough would come off without a problem. Again, BIG MISTAKE!  We finally cut the silpat away from the dough and finely this disaster was smeared with jam and put into the oven. 


It was delicious! It came out warm with a sea of jam and toasted cookie. This Linzer Bar reminded me of a peanut butter and jelly cookie. The almond and hazelnut flours gave the dough a soft nutty flavor that paired perfectly with the raspberry jam. This didn't last very long! The ultimate cookie, despite the huge and very sticky mess.

Fancy Linzer Bars with Raspberry Jam became delicious peanut butter-like and jelly cookies!

Linzer Bars with Raspberry Jam

Recipe from Milk and Cookies

Makes one 17 1/4-by-11 1/2  by 1 inch pan

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (7 oz) hazelnut flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2  teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
2 cups (1 pound) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup good-quality raspberry jam

Egg wash: Egg wash is made by vigorously whisking 1 whole egg with 1 tablespoon water, milk or cream. Brushing it on pastries and other baked goods with a pastry brush before baking produces a golden sheen on the finished crust.

Combine the all-purpose flour with the hazelnut flour, almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
Put butter in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle. Begin beating on low spend to soften. Increase the speed to medium  and beat for about 3 minutes, or until light and creamy. With the motor running, gradually add the sugar beating until very light and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well to incorporate after each addition.
With the motor running, slowly add the reserved flour mixture and beat until completed blended, then remove the bowl from the mixer and scrape the paddle clean.
Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a rectangle and cover tightly in plastic wrap.  Place in refrigerator for about 1 hour, or until thoroughly chilled.
Line a 17 1/4-by-11 1/2  by 1 inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 325˚F.
Lightly flour a clean, flat work surface. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and unwrap. Place one piece of dough on the floured surface and, using a rolling pin, roll it into a neat, even rectangle, the same size as the pan. Transfer to the prepared pan and refrigerate  for 30 minutes.
Roll out the second  piece of sought the same way, then  use a pastry cutter or small sharp knife to cut it lengthwise  into strips about 1 inch wide.
Remove the chilled dough front the refrigerator and using an off set spatula, cover the surface with the raspberry jam, smoothing it out in an even layer. Arrange the strips of  of dough into a lattice pattern, spaced  about 3/2 inch apart, over the jam, carefully pinching the loose ends into the edges of the bottom crust. Brush strips with egg wash.
Bake for about 25 minutes or until the dough is golden brown and cooked through.  Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool.
When cool, use a serrated knife to cut into small bars. Store in a single layer, at room temperature for up to a week.