Austrian Nut Cookies

These are my family's favorite Christmas cookies. If you arrange the slivered almonds in pinwheel fashion, the cookie looks like a poinsettia.

Austrian Nut Cookies

Average Rating: 5

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 30 min. + chilling Bake: 10 min./batch + cooling
YIELD: 10 sandwich cookies.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup finely chopped almonds
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

  • FROSTING:
  • 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
  • 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • Slivered almonds, optional

Instructions

  • 1. In a bowl, combine flour, chopped almonds and sugar. Mix in butter until dough is just combined. On a floured surface, roll the dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a 2-in. round cutter and place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  • 2. Uncover and bake at 375° for 7-10 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Spread jam on half of the cookies; top with another cookie.
  • 3. For frosting, combine chocolate, confectioners' sugar and butter. Spread on tops of cookies. Decorate with slivered almonds.

Nutrition Facts

1 cookie: 277 calories, 18g fat (9g saturated fat), 31mg cholesterol, 92mg sodium, 28g carbohydrate (16g sugars, 2g fiber), 4g protein.