Chocolate Linzer Hearts

 

1

cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2

cup sugar

1

teaspoon vanilla

2

eggs

1

cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and ground

1/2

ounce semisweet baking chocolate, finely chopped

2 1/2

cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1 1/2

teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2

teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2

cup raspberry jam

1

ounce semisweet baking chocolate, melted

• 1 Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, or mix with spoon. Beat in vanilla and eggs until smooth. Add remaining ingredients except jam and melted chocolate. Beat until well blended. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour (dough will be sticky).
• 2 Heat oven to 375°F. Roll one-fourth of dough at a time between pieces of waxed paper until 1/8 inch thick. (Keep remaining dough refrigerated until ready to roll.) Cut with 2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter. Cut small heart shape from center of half of the 2-inch hearts if desired. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
• 3 Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until light brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Spread about 1/2 teaspoon raspberry jam on bottom of whole heart cookies; top with cutout heart cookie. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Let stand until chocolate is firm.