For 4 dozen cookies
Ingredients
8 oz. pecans
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. salt
1 large egg
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup red raspberry preserves, or other jam
Directions
Using a food processor, pulse pecans and cornstarch until pecans are finely ground.
Beat together the butter and 1 cup confectioners' sugar until mixed.
Using high speed, cream the mixture until smooth and silky, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula so that all is incorporated.
At medium speed, beat in vanilla, salt, and egg.
Gradually add the flour and pecan mixture one tablespoon at a time, until completely incorporated, occasionally scraping down the excess.
Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Flatten each into a disk.
Wrap each disk with plastic wrap and refrigerate until dough is firm enough to roll, about 4 hours.
Preheat oven to 325˚F.
On a floured surface, flatten each of the portions to a 1/8-inch thickness.
Stamp out as many cookies as you can with a 3-inch round or fluted cookie cutter.
Now, cut the centers out of half of those cookies with a 1 1/2-inch holiday shaped cookie cutter.
Place all cookies on lightly greased baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and cool on wire racks.
Prepare the cutout cookies by dusting them with powdered sugar.
Spread solid cookies with preserves, keeping the preserves slightly away from the edges.
To finish, top each solid preserved “filled” cookie with a dusted cutout.