Inspired by the Linzertorte, a buttery Austrian confection, these raspberry-filled cookies are a pretty addition to your holiday cookie platter.

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies

ACTIVE TIME: 45 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 2 hours

EASE OF PREPARATION: Moderate

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional)

1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, swirling the pan, until the butter turns a nutty brown, about 1 minute. Pour into a small bowl.
2. Combine sugar, oil and the browned butter in a mixing bowl; beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together into the sugar mixture; mix on low speed just until blended.
3. Divide the dough in half. Roll out between sheets of parchment or wax paper to an even 1/16-inch thickness. Transfer to a baking sheet, with the paper still attached, and freeze for at least 1 hour and for up to 3 days.
4. Position oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. With a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out an even number of circles. Cut the center out of half of the circles with a thimble or 1/2-inch round cookie cutter. Transfer the solid cookies to a prepared baking sheet with a metal spatula, spacing them about 1/2 inch apart. Lay the cookies with the holes on top of the solid cookies.
5. Whisk raspberry jam in a small bowl until smooth. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon jam into the center of each cookie.
6. Bake until the cookies are firm to the touch and lightly browned on the bottom, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 67 calories; 2 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 9 mg cholesterol; 11 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 0 g fiber; 40 mg sodium; 11 mg potassium.
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 other carbohydrate

What a mess! These cookies were impossible to work with. I put them out in our arctic air for 4 hours and still could not get the cut circles off of the wax paper. They were entirely too soft and sticky. Rather than waste the dough, I decided to roll them into balls, press my thumb print in them and fill that with the jam. The never browned in the oven and stuck to the pan irregardless of the non-stick spray. Will NOT make these again. I would much rather have the calories of the original Linzertorte cookie.

Laura, Zurich, Switzerland