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The Curse of the Polar Vortex & The Linzer Charm

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Once upon a time, there was a young girl who lived in a small cape in a small town.  To the townspeople, she was the Baking Gypsy.  She would travel far and wide, embarking upon dangerous adventures throughout the world, in order to gather rare and wonderful ingredients to bring back home.

People loved her baking and all fell under the spell of her magnificent cakes and cookies (ahem ;))…

Somewhere north of this town- past the snowy lands and foothills, far across the crystal lakes and dense forests of respite, lived the Winter Witch.  She despised the Baking Gypsy…and even from her frozen tundra, she could sense the joy of the mariner’s village.  Their joy and happiness were disrupting the desolate winter spell.

So one night, in the dead of winter, the witch cast a curse upon the town and confined them into a Polar Vortex.  The temperatures dropped to a deadly low and rain came down in torrents, melting the blanket of heavenly snow that cloaked the town, glazing it over in ice.

Soon the joyous scene was now a portrait of the bleak and dreary.

The Winter Witch rejoiced, for now the whole world was under her nefarious spell, and the only thing that could be heard were the echoes of her wicked cackle.

With the town in sorrow, trembling from the cold, the Baking Gypsy knew she had to act quickly before all was lost.  There was still hope.

She tore through her books and scrolls, searching for that spell…the one spell she knew could break this icy trance.

Alas, she found what she was looking for- The Linzer Charm.  With the help of the townspeople, the Baking Gypsy began her work…Double, Double, Toil and Trouble; Fire Burn and Caldron Bubble!

Soon the ice encasing the town began to melt away.  The warm cinnamon and spiced rum tore through the Vortex, and soon shafts of celestial light blazed down and cast away the bitter chill.  The Vortex twisted and warped until it finally gave in and burst into a trillion stars.

The light was so powerful, that the Winter Witch melted and evanesced into the atmosphere, turning to snow.

And so, all the beauty and cheer had been restored in the little mariner’s town…music and laughter filled the snow covered lanes and all lived happily ever after…for now.

Linzer Cookies
(Adapted from Dorie Greenspan for Bon Appetit)

1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups slivered almonds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2/3 cups sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, room temp
1 large egg
2 teaspoons dark rum
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup seedless raspberry jam or your preferred jam
Powdered sugar (for dusting)

In a large bowl combine flour, almonds, cinnamon and sea salt.  Set aside.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat sugar and butter in a large bowl until fluffy.  Add egg; beat until well blended.  Beat in rum and vanilla.  Reduce speed to low; and add dry ingredients.  Beat dough just enough to blend, and gently knead if necessary to form a ball.

Divide dough in half.  Place each half between sheets of parchment paper and flatten into a disk.  Chill dough in paper until very firm, at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Working with 1 dough disk at a time, roll out on a floured work surface until 1/8 inches thick.  Cut out cookies using about a 2-inch cookie cutter and transfer to baking sheets.  Repeat with remaining dough. Then, using a smaller cookie cutter, about ½-inch, cut out the cent of half the cookies.

Place the cookie trays in the oven and cook for about 10-12 minute until they are dry and firm to touch.  Cookies will firm up as they cool, so it is important to be precise about this.

Arrange whole cookies flat side up.  Spoon 1 teaspoon of jam in the center of each, dabbing slightly to spread.  Arrange cookies with cutouts flat side down and dust each sandwich cookie with powdered sugar.  

Enjoy and be sure to store in an airtight container at room temp.

 
Yours Truly,
The Baking Gypsy 
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Comments

  2. Sandee says

    What a lovely story to feature such yummy looking cookies. I loved it Tammy.

    Have a fabulous day. My best to you both. ☺

    Reply

  3. Chatty Crone says

    Oh my goodness these bring back memories – my dear mother in law used to make those and they were so good. Not many people cook and bake like this these days. They look so beautiful!

    Reply

    • Tammy says

      Sandie you’re the sweetest! Thank you…I haven’t had cookies like this in a while either…I’m a creature of habit- I always end up baking chocolate chip cookies or oatmeal raisin, but I loved mixing it up a bit and going for some of the lost classics. Glad to hear you enjoyed it too!

      xo

      Reply

  7. David says

    Tammy, Your linzer cookies look great! They are definitely comfort food… Nevertheless, I’ll take the relatively mild weather here in East Tennessee over the cold weather and delicious cookies. By Sunday, we should be in the 60s. Only a trace to a 1/2 inch of snow so far this winter. Thanks for reminding me of these great cookies and providing the recipe…haven’t had any since we moved here from the upper midwest in 2009. Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

    Reply

    • Tammy says

      Dave it’s always a pleasure hearing from you! Thank you so much. …There really is no telling when this cold spell will pass, but personally I’m ok with being stuck inside and baking away the winter blues! ^_^

      Reply

  8. HOOTIN ANNI says

    What a fantastic post…reading the lore of the Linzer Cookie and then…having the actual tasty treats to sample at the end!! You’re magical today!!! And, with these a friend for life!! Yum.

    PS…I too loved Peter Sellers movies. My favorite was Death by Murder…’same wing as Wang’ cracked me up.

    Reply

    • Tammy says

      Why thank you Hootin Anni! 😀 😀

      I loove Peter Sellers…I recently just saw him in The Party & Dr. Strangelove…he is just the greatest!

      Reply

  9. ~~louise~~ says

    Just the story I needed to brighten my day, Tammy. I just got off the phone with my sister on Long Island, she sure could use the Baking Gypsy in Islip! Of course she would also welcome these delectable Linzer Cookies too. Thank you so much for sharing, Tammy…Hi to Mom, stay warm…

    Reply

  25. Dottie says

    Dear Baking Gypsy, Great story! You should think of making your story into a childrens book, with the recipe. That would be fabulous…You are not only a fabulous baker, photographer, but also a fun writer. Very good descriptive words…I wanted to hear more…but those cookies are amazing. I think if I had to choose that would be my favorite cookie of all time. Very flavorful and love the jam. Thanks for sharing….Baking Gypsy come back someday with another story and recipe….Blessings, Dottie 🙂

    Reply

    • Tammy says

      Dottie you’re a sweetheart and your words of encouragement mean so much. This was just what I needed to read. Thank you for your support and love. God bless!

      xo

      Reply

  31. Reeni says

    I LOVE the story Tammy! So magical! I was thinking you should make it into a book too. I love linzer cookies – they look absolutely delicious! This is one of my favorite posts ever. xoxo

    Reply

  33. Miz Helen says

    What a wonderful post and your photo of the snow is just beautiful. I love your cookies they look delicious! Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a great weekend!
    Miz Helen

    Reply

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