BY AGATHA KULAGA AND ERIN PATINKIN
When we reached out to Ovenly cofounder and entrepreneur Erin Patinkin for her ideas on a new classic cookie, there was one that jumped out first: the linzer, in all its jammy, sandwichy glory. Here, Patinkin and her business partner, Agatha Kulaga, rethink the sandwich portion with a cookie spiced with cinnamon and cardamom. “Agatha and I created this cookie because it was the perfect intersection of so many of the buttery, jammy cookies we ate growing up with Eastern European grandparents (me) and parents (Agatha),” says Patinkin of the cookie’s inspiration. This recipe also features a good bit of black pepper, which pairs great with the fruity jam filling. “They also make awesome gifts—put them in a box, wrap it with a bow.” And, voilà. The best edible gift your oven can bake.
MAKES 40 COOKIES
DOUGH
1 cup whole nuts of your choice (walnuts and pecans work great)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Zest of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
FILLING
2 cups Quick & Easy Berry Jam (see below)
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 4 rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper.
2. Toast the nuts on a rimmed sheet pan for 10 minutes, then let cool. Grind the nuts in a food processor until they form a fine meal. Dump into a bowl. Leave the oven on.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, zest, and spices.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until soft and light, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the ground nuts and mix on low for 30 seconds.
5. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the flour mixture with a large rubber spatula, mixing until combined.
6. Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and, using a bench knife, divide into 3 pieces. Set 2 aside and loosely cover with plastic wrap.
7. Flour one of the pieces of dough and gently roll it out into a circle with 1/4-inch thickness. The dough may seem dry, so you may have to press any cracks or crevices with your fingers. However, don’t worry—the dough will bake beautifully.
8. Cut the dough with a 2-inch circular cookie cutter (or choose your favorite festive one) and place the cutouts 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheet (about 12 per pan).
9. Re-flour your surface. Incorporate the scraps from the first piece of dough into the second piece. Roll it out, and cut more cookies. Repeat with the last piece of dough. (If you have room in your freezer, freeze cookie sheets for 10 minutes—they’ll keep their shape better; if not, go ahead and bake.)
10. Bake the cookies until they are light golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes. Remove from oven and cool the whole sheet on a cooling rack. Do not remove the cookies from the sheet until they are cooled
11. While the cookies bake and cool, prepare the filling.
12. Turn half of the cookies upside down so that the flat side is facing upward. Put a heaping teaspoon of the filling on each of the upturned cookies, then top with remaining cookies (bottom side down).
QUICK & EASY BERRY JAM
2 pounds fresh or frozen berries of your choice
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
Zest of one lemon or 1/2 an orange
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1. Place the berries, honey, and salt in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning, about 4 minutes or until juices begin to bubble and release.
2. Once the berries begin to sweat, turn the heat to high. Bring to a boil while stirring. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally until jam is thick. Remove from heat and stir in zest and vanilla extract.
3. Let cool before using.
