A perfect gift for Valentine’s Day this is a shortbread and linzer cookie recipe from Ina Garten’s The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, page 177.  This is the same recipe I did for Chocolate Covered Shortbread Cookies, so for more pictures, please see here.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 Cup raspberry jam
• powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. In the bowl of a standing mixer with a the paddle attachement cream the butter and sugar until just combined. Add the vanilla. In another bowl sift together the flour and salt. Slowly add the flour into the butter mixture. (by the way, you must get this shield if you have the kitchen aid mixer, it helps keep the kitchen a bit cleaner)  Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Shape dough into a flat, dust with flour and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.  oll out the dough about 1/2 inch thick. (I found the dough to be a bit dry, but, the more I worked with it, the easier it got to work with). Use heart shape (or obviously any shape) to make cookies.  Cover your baking sheets with silpat baking sheets.  Place cookies on sheets, sprinkle with a bit of sugar and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking racks.