#53 Paula's Pistachio Linzertorte with Black Raspberry Jam

I read about this beautiful European cookie recipe from among the Top Holiday Cookies of 2010 as listed by the Food Network. The cookie looked very much like one my Amma used to make years ago with sugar, butter and flour. She called it Tri-Color biscuits. It was a sandwich cookie where the top layer had three holes. She applied three different jellies/jams to the base cookie and placed the top layer to sandwich them together with the jam in between. She was an expert at home-made jams and jellies made with tropical fruits like pineapple and mangoes, which were always stored in handy jars.
This recipe calls for Cherry Jam but I preferrred to use Black Raspberry Jam that I had in my pantry. Unlike my Amma, I do not make fresh jams or jellies because both of us are not big eaters of jams. This cookie was a popular one at home and with my colleagues this year.  I did not have a small star shaped cutter so I used a small round one instead for the center. The recipe is available at

http://www.foodnetwork.com/holidays-and-parties/top-holiday-cookies/pictures/index.html

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 1/2 cups ground roasted and salted pistachios
• Cherry jam

Directions

In a large bowl, beat butter and confectioners' sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in egg yolks until combined.

In a small bowl, combine flour, nutmeg and cardamom. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating until combined. Beat in ground pistachios. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

On lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with a 2-inch star-shaped cookie cutter. Cut out centers of half the cookies with a 1/2-inch star-shaped cookie cutter. Place cookies 2 inches apart on baking sheets, and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Let cool on pan for 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Spread cherry jam evenly over flat sides of uncut cookies. Top with flat sides of cutout cookies. Return to baking sheets, and bake for 2 minutes. Let cool completely on wire racks. Store in airtight