Ischl Tarts

 

Really, really delightfully good Christmas cookies—give them a try!

2 3/4 Cups sifted flour (sift first, then measure)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 Cup butter, softened (2 sticks)
1 3 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 Cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 Cup ground almonds
1 TB grated fresh lemon rind
1 12 oz. jar seedless raspberry jam
1-2 Cups powdered sugar

Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside. Beat butter, cream cheese, sugar, and egg with a mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour mixture, blending well. Stir in ground almonds and lemon rind. Wrap the sticky dough in wax paper and chill for at least several hours or up to two days. Preheat oven to 350°. Working with half the dough at a time, roll out to 1/8" thickness on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Cut out with a 2" or 3" round cookie cutter. Cut a 1" hole in the center of HALF of these dough circles (these will be the tops that the jam peeks through). There are fancy cutters now that cut all different shapes in the center, but we have always used the top of a clean, empty pill bottle to cut the center hole. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes, just until the edges are beginning to brown. Let cookies cool on the sheets for 1 minute, and then remove to racks to cool completely. Spread wax paper on your work surface and lay out all the cookie tops (the ones with the holes). Using a fine strainer or shaker, cover these cookie tops (the ones with the holes) with powdered sugar. Heat raspberry jam in a small saucepan and spread warm jam on the flat side of the uncut cookie halves. Top each jammy cookie with a sugary top. Store in an airtight tin, with wax paper between layers of cookies. These cookies freeze well.
Prep. time: 30 minutes plus chilling time
Baking time: 8 minutes per tray
Yield: 3 dozen.