SOUR CHERRY HAZELNUT LINZER TART

Linzers, the classic Austrian tart and cookie, combine two of my favorite flavors—toasty nuts and fruity jam. But the nutty crust and cookie inevitably soften from the moment they meet the jam. I’ve created a thicker jam by adding dried fruit so there’s less moisture. I love a filling of dried cherries and apricot preserves with hazelnut dough, but you can swap in your favorite preserves, dried fruit, and nuts. Just be sure to keep the proportions the same and to use thick preserves.

makes one 11-inch tart

Hazelnut Dough

Cherry-Apricot Filling

1. To make the hazelnut dough: Whisk the hazelnut meal, both flours, the baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the butter, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Scrape the bowl. Turn the speed to medium and beat in the egg yolks, then the vanilla.

2. Scrape the bowl. Gradually add the hazelnut mixture, beating on low speed until the mixture is well blended and forms large clumps.

3. Lightly coat an 11-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom with cooking spray. Press two thirds of the dough evenly into the bottom and ½ inch up the sides of the pan. Freeze until firm, at least 20 minutes. Refrigerate the remaining dough.

4. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F.

5. Bake until the crust is dry and set, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool completely on the pan on a wire rack.

6. Meanwhile, make the filling: Combine the cherries and ¼ cup water in a microwave-safe small bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir and repeat until the cherries have softened, about 2 minutes total. Let stand until the water has been absorbed and the cherries are at room temperature.

7. Transfer the cherries to a food processor and add the preserves and salt. Pulse to your desired consistency. I prefer a smooth mixture, but if you like bits and chunks in your filling, stop after a few pulses.

8. Spread the cherry-apricot filling evenly in the crust. Crumble the reserved dough over the filling in ½-inch-thick lines from edge to edge in a lattice pattern, spacing the lines 1½ inches apart.

9. Bake until the filling is bubbling and the lattice crumble is baked through and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the sides of the pan and cool completely on the base on a wire rack.

MAKE AHEAD

The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen in a resealable plastic freezer bag for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. The filling will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator. The tart is best the day it’s made but will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. The unfilled cookies will keep for up to 3 days at room temperature.

Hazelnut Linzer Tartlets

You can use the dough and filling to make cookies instead. Turn out the dough, press firmly into a 1-inch-thick disk, and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours. Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough ⅛ inch thick. Cut out cookies with a 2-inch square cookie cutter and transfer half the cookies to the prepared pans. Cut circles with a small round cutter out of the centers of the remaining cookies and arrange the square and circle cookies on the prepared pans. Reroll the scraps. Cut out square cookies from the scraps, and cut out circles from half of the squares. Freeze until firm. Bake in a 375°F oven one pan at a time until golden brown and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely on the pans on wire racks. Divide almost all of the filling evenly among the square cookies without the cut-out centers. Dab a bit of the filling on the bottom of each circle and press onto the cookies with the cut-outs to decorate them. Dust the cookies with the cut-outs with confectioners’ sugar and sandwich with the bottoms. Serve immediately. (Makes about 2 dozen)