• 1-1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. lemon zest, grated
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 cups slivered almonds, ground to a very coarse meal (one of my food processors did not get the almonds fine enough and I had to use a different one – they do need to be ground fine!)
• raspberry jam
• confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Cream the butter and  confectioners’ sugar about 3 minutes.  Add the egg, vanilla and lemon zest; mix well.  In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch (yes, you use that much) and salt.  Add to the creamed mixture.  Combine the ground almonds with your clean hands and mix thoroughly.  Divide the dough into thirds,  wrap  in plastic and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator to soften slightly about 1 hour before rolling out.  Flour your cloth lightly and roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thick or less.  Use 1/3 of the dough at a time and refrigerate the rest until ready to roll out and bake.  Cut out an equal number of 3-inch and 1-1/4-inch cookies.  Place each size on different cookie sheets and chill 45 minutes before baking.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and bake the large hearts for about 10 minutes.  Watch carefully, as all ovens are different and you do not want them to brown except maybe around the edges.  Cook the smaller hearts for about 8 minutes.

While still a little warm place about 1/2 tsp. of raspberry jam in the center of each large heart.  Place the small heart on top and press down gently, so you can see some of the jam.

These cookies can be frozen without the jam.  Just before serving, sift some confectioners’ sugar on top of the cookies.

Recipe by cooking with aunt juju http://cookingwithauntjuju.com/2012/02/12/raspberry-shortbread-hearts/