Raspberry Lunettes from Payard Cookies
Makes about 50 sandwich cookies
The name of these cookies translates to 'eyeglasses', because of their oval shape with two round cutouts. Splitting the dough in half before rolling it makes it easier to roll and cut. Since half of the cookies have cutouts and half do not, you will need to bake them on separate baking sheets to avoid under- or over-baking them. Adding water to the dough means that it won’t shrink much and will perfectly retain the shape into which it is cut, which is important for this particular cookie.
Directions
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on low speed until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy. Add the eggs and mix until everything is fully combined. Add the all-purpose flour and almond flour and mix until fully combined, then add the water and mix until smooth.
Remove the dough from the bowl, divide it in half, wrap each half in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 2 hours, or until it is chilled all the way through.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Take out half of the dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until it is ¼ inch thick. With a 2-inch tapered oval cookie cutter, cut out the dough and place the ovals on a baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough from the refrigerator, rerolling the scraps as necessary.
Using a small round cookie cutter or a pastry tip, cut two small circles out of half of the cookies (place the cookies with the cutouts all on one baking sheet), to create an eyeglasses-like shape as pictured. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they just begin to turn a light golden brown. The cookies with cutouts will bake slightly faster than the ones without. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool completely on the baking sheets.
Invert the whole cookies and spread a small amount of jam onto the bottom of each. Dust the cutout cookies with confectioners’ sugar, and place one on each of the cookies with jam. Press lightly to sandwich them, then store them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 1 week.
