Cutie Linzer Cookies for Easter

In an effort to eat less sugar I went to the store and loaded up on fruit including these cuties/clementines. They tasted like candy and were so juicy and delicious I swore off baked goods forever.

Until I had the idea to turn them into a Linzer cookie.

Recently I scored  this cute Linzer cookie Easter set. I used the cute set for the cutie recipe. You can use any shape cutters you have but if you want to make the cutout, you need one is several sizes smaller as well.

For the middle layer, I made curd out of those little orange jewels admittedly adding a drop or two of orange food color to brighten them up for their photo session. But you don’t have to. The flavor is bright enough.

Is it wrong that I like saying  Cutie Curd?

Perfect for an Easter treat, these cookies were SO  melt in your mouth delicious. I honestly could not believe how good they were. Usually when I serve something I’ve baked I’m all, “well I should or could have done this or perhaps if I did that.” It was unanimous among two dinner parties, one local gelateria staff and my work colleagues. These were perfection.

For the Cutie Cookies:

Ingredients:

• 1+1.2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon orange extract
• 1+1/2 -2 tablespoons of cutie zest
• 1 cup almond meal*
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line 2 (4 if you have them) baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl and set aside.
• In a mixer cream the butter and sugar together.
• Blend in the egg, then the zest and vanilla.
• Add the dry ingredients and then the almond meal until everything is just mixed in.
• Wrap the dough in plastic film and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Roll the dough out on a floured surface and cut out the cookies.
• If you don’t have a Linzer cutter, choose a shape from your collection and another cutter several sizes smaller or just forgo the cutout altogether.
• Cut out the cookie and using the smaller cutter make a cutout in half the cookies.
• Place the cutout cookies and the solid ones on different baking sheets. They will have different baking times. The cutout ones will bake faster.
• As you fill up the baking sheets, place them in the freezer for a few minutes before transferring to the oven. This will prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes or until just slightly golden.
• Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
• Spread the solid cookie (the one without the cutout) with a thin layer of curd .
• Dust or dip the cutout cookie with powdered sugar and  and place it on top of the curd covered cookie.
• Plate and serve but definitely hide a few for yourself.

*I buy almonds already ground into mean or flour. You can also pulverize blanched almonds in a food processor. If you do, make sure you add a few table spoons of powdered sugar to prevent the almonds from forming a paste.

For the cutie curd:
Slightly adapted from this Starfruit curd recipe from Global Table Adventure

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh squeezed cutie juice (about 6 cuties)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• a couple of drops of orange food coloring if you wish

Directions:

• Heat the juice until just simmering
• In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment cream the sugar and yolks together until light yellow.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer and whisk in the cornstarch and flour.
• Slowly pour the juice into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to temper.
• Transfer the mixture back into the saucepan and reheat whisking constantly until the mixture thickens.
• Whisk in a few drops of food coloring if you want.
• Let cool. Transfer to an airtight container and place in the fridge.