Normally, Valentine's Day is not a big event in our household, mostly because my grandfather's birthday is only a few days before (and our whole family gathers to celebrate that), and also because a lot of chocolate is consumed at the end of January when the Salon Du Chocolat is held in Tokyo. But since Valentine's is not just about chocolates, and ever since I started this blog I am always looking for an excuse to try something new, I decided to plan a Valentine's post. And to be honest, it was supposed to be up by now (over the weekend to be exact), but partly because a snowy dark day prevented me from photographing the results (public excuse), and partly because I did not have the good grace to follow my baking agenda closely (truth), I am running late.
This post is part of the said Valentine's post. After looking at numerous photographs of pretty linzer cookies on the internet and in magazines, I decided I wanted to try them myself. I didn't want to use the traditional dough which contains nuts (usually hazelnuts or almonds), because I already had a different treat that includes almonds planned for the Valentine's post. But I did know what kind of jam I wanted to use for the filling — jam from a lovely shop called Romi-Unie Confiture.
Romi-Unie Confiture is a small cozy shop, on a quiet street in Kamakura, that specializes in handmade "confitures". There are a myriad of jams to choose from; every single one with a lovely name; most in French. My favorites are their "Anniversaire" (strawberry & raspberry), and "Claire" (kiwi fruit & apple) confitures, but I wouldn't really know because I have yet to try them all. For these Valentine's cookies, I wanted to use a raspberry jam, and after much consideration, I picked the "Paris" raspberry confiture with kirschwasser (cherry brandy), and the "Tartiner Framboise" chocolate spread with a hint of raspberry. The jams were so full of flavor, I decided to use an uncomplicated but delicious plain butter cookie dough which I (not so coincidentally) posted about previously. I know the jams I have written about here are impossible to buy unless you are in Japan, but any good quality jam would work. I recommend choosing something that is not overly sweet, because the cookie dough has enough sugar and a dusting of confectioner's sugar will be added on top. For those of you who do live in Japan, you can visit the shop, or buy online here.
* Romi-Unie Confiture
1-13-1 Ogigayatsu
Kamakura, Kanagawa
248-0011 Japan
* { valentine's cookies, cookies adapted from lionel poilâne, via dorie's website and paris sweets by dorie greenspan }
— continue reading for the recipe and assembly instructions
{ ingredients } makes 25-30 cookies
< for the cookies >
140g unsalted butter at room temperature
125g sugar
1 large egg lightly beaten
280g all purpose flour
< for the filling >
good quality raspberry (or similar) jam
{ method }
1. Make the dough for the butter cookies and chill until ready to use. (See post "POILÂNE'S PUNITIONS | FRENCH BUTTER COOKIES") Preheat the oven to 180℃. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.
2. Working with one disk at a time, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it is between 3-4mm. Using a 4cm round cookie cutter, cut out as many cookies as you can, and place on the lined baking sheets. (If the cookies are sticky chill in refrigerator for about 15 minutes.) Using a small heart cookie cutter, cut the centers from half of the round cookies. (Gather the scraps into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and keep chilled to make more cookies later.)
3. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until they are set but still pale. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
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