Hazelnut–Raspberry Sandwich Cookie Wreaths
Servings
48sandwich cookies
Servings
48sandwich cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies
For assembly
Instructions
Make the dough
  1. Have ready several sheets of parchment and a cookie sheet. Whisk the flour, ground hazelnuts, cinnamon, salt, and cloves in a medium bowl until well blended.
  2. Put the butter and confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using an electric handheld mixer fitted with wire beaters). Beat on medium speed until creamy and lighter in color, about 4 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat on medium until blended and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until the dough forms moist clumps.
  3. Scrape the dough onto the work surface and divide into two approximately equal piles. Put one pile of the dough in the center of a sheet of parchment. Cover with another piece of parchment and press down on the dough to flatten. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough between the parchment to a 3⁄16-inch (4.8 mm) thickness, turning, lifting, and repositioning the parchment and lightly flouring throughout the rolling. Slide the dough and parchment onto a cookie sheet and refrigerate. Repeat with more parchment and the remaining dough, stack on top of the other one, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
Bake and assemble the cookies
  1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F (180°C/gas 4). Line cookie sheets (four, if you have them) with parchment or nonstick liners.
  2. Working with one sheet of dough at a time, remove the top sheet of parchment. Using a 2-inch (5 cm) fluted cookie cutter, cut out rounds from the chilled dough. Arrange the rounds about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Using a 3⁄4-inch (2 cm) fluted or plain cookie cutter, cut out the centers of half of the rounds and remove. Stack the scraps and gently press together. Reroll, chill, and cut.
  3. Bake, one sheet at a time, until the edges and bottom of the cookies are golden brown, 9 to 11 minutes. Move the sheet to a rack and let cool for about 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough using cooled cookie sheets and parchment or liners.
  4. Arrange the cookies with the center stamped out, top side up, on a work surface and, using a sifter, dust the tops with confectioners’ sugar. Arrange the whole cookies, bottom side up, on the work surface. Put a scant 1 tsp. of the jelly in the center of each cookie. Cover with the confectioners’ sugar-coated cookies and press down very gently to evenly spread the jelly until it just reaches the edges. Repeat with the remaining cookies. Serve immediately or cover and stow at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Recipe Notes

Flavor swap

Milk chocolate ganache filling: Omit the cloves from the dough and bake as directed. For the filling, omit the raspberry jelly and put 8 oz. (227 g) chopped milk chocolate (11⁄3 cups) and 1⁄3 cup (80 ml) heavy cream in a small, heatproof bowl. Heat in a microwave until almost melted or set the bowl over a saucepan filled with barely simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth. Set aside until the mixture is thick enough to hold its shape, then fill and sandwich the cookies. Let the cookies sit at room temperature or, for faster cooling, in the fridge until the chocolate is firm.

Almond–Apricot Sandwich Cookies: Instead of the hazelnuts, use 3⁄4 cup (3 oz./85 g) finely ground blanched and toasted almonds in the dough. Instead of the raspberry jelly, purée 1 cup (11 oz./312 g) apricot jam in a food processor with 1⁄8 tsp. almond extract for the filling.

Re-size it
Change the shape: Instead of rounds, cut the dough into stars, hearts, or triangles, and make smaller cutouts of the same shape in the center.

Baker’s Wisdom

Hazelnuts
Also known as filberts, hazelnuts are a tree nut with a strong, earthly flavor. Not only are they used in many desserts like these cookies, but they are also the central flavor for Frangelico® liqueur and a popular flavor added to brewed coffee. Like all nuts, hazelnuts can go rancid if stored for long periods of time, so keep them tightly wrapped in a heavy-duty zip-top freezer bag in the freezer for up to 6 months. Always taste several nuts from the batch before you use them.

Essential Technique

Rolling the dough and making cutouts
Roll the dough between two pieces of parchment to 3⁄16 inch (4.8 mm) thick. Turn and flip the dough and lift the parchment as you go, flouring as needed.

Use a 2-inch (5 cm) fluted cookie cutter to cut out rounds from the chilled dough. Using a small offset spatula, arrange the rounds about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

To create windows in the sandwich tops, use a 3⁄4-inch (2 cm) round cutter to remove the centers on half of the cookies.

When the cookies are baked and cooled, dust the tops (with the window cutout) with confectioners’ sugar.

Arrange the remaining cookies bottom side up and put 1 tsp. raspberry jelly in the center of each.

Cover the jelly-filled cookie bottom with a cut-out top (hold by the edges) and press down gently to spread the jelly just to the edges.