Ingredients

6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
Zest of 1 lemon, grated fine
Zest of 2 oranges, grated fine
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for board and rolling pin
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups finely ground almonds (almond flour, or blanched almonds pulsed in a food processor until very fine)
1 cup raspberry preserves

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Beat butter, sugar, and zests in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment at medium speed until they are smooth. Sift together flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Add the yolks to the mixer bowl, and beat until they are incorporated. Reduce the speed, and slowly add the dry mixture, then the ground almonds, beating until they're incorporated. Turn the dough out onto the counter, form it into a ball, cut in half, wrap each half in plastic, and chill until firm, about 1 hour. (The dough will keep for 3 days at this stage, and can be frozen for 1 month.)

Flour the board and rolling pin, and roll out half the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut the cookies into desired shapes using a 11/2-inch-diameter cutter. Cut 1/2-inch holes in the centers of half the cookies. Transfer the cookies to prepared cookie sheets with a spatula, and chill them for 30 minutes.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack. Once they've cooled, sprinkle the cookies that have cutouts with confectioners' sugar. Spoon a little raspberry preserves on each of the solid cookies, and top each with a powdered cookie.

(Published 2002)