Linzertorte Bars

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup ground toasted hazelnuts (filberts) or 1 cup almonds
• 1 tablespoon dark unsweetened cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup seedless raspberry jam or 1 cup apricot jam
• confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Recipe

• 1 in a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until smooth using an electric mixer or a wooden spoon.
• 2 add the egg and beat until light and fluffy.
• 3 stir in the nuts, cocoa, spices, and flour.
• 4 cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• 5 preheat the oven to 350°f.
• 6 lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
• 7 remove one-third of the dough and return it to the refrigerator.
• 8 place the remaining dough between sheets of plastic wrap and roll out to make a 10-inch square.
• 9 remove the top sheet of plastic wrap and place the dough into the prepared baking pan, plastic up.
• 10 pull of the other sheet of plastic and with your fingers, press the dough onto the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan.
• 11 spread the dough evenly with the jam.
• 12 place the reserved dough between 2 sheets of plastic and roll out to a 9 1/2 inch square with about 1/4-inch thickness.
• 13 with a pastry wheel, cut into 1/2-inch strips.
• 14 place the strips in a crisscross fashion over the jam and press the ends onto the edges of the bottom crust.
• 15 bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until light brown.
• 16 cool in the pan on a wire rack.
• 17 cut into 2 1/4 inch squares.
• 18 dust with confectioners' sugar.
• 19 makes 16 bars.