Almond Jelly Cookies

These cookies taste like a tender shortbread with a nutty flavor. You can use any kind of jam or jelly but I prefer to use red and green..this time I used crabapple and mint. Another wonderful cookie for Christmas. And the recipe comes from my favorite cookie book..Best of Country Cookies.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups ground almonds

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

jelly or jam of your choice

1. Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl

2. Add ground almonds, vanilla and mix well

3. Combine flour and salt and gradually add to creamed mixture

4. Refrigerate the dough for 2 hours until easy to handle

5. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to 1/8" thickness

6. Cut half of the cookies with a round 2" cookie cutter and the other half with a donut cutter.

I used the 2" cutter for all of them and then used a little 'tree cutter' for half of the cookies.

7. Place 1" apart on ungreased cookie sheets

8. Bake at 350º for 10 to 12 min until lightly browned

9. Remove to racks to cool. Once cooled spread 1/2 tsp jelly over the bottom of the solid cookie and place cookie with cutout centers over the jelly.

Yields: I had 31 'finished cookies'