Pecan Shortbread Raspberry Cookies

Photo: flickr user Apuch

Ingredients

1 cup butter softened

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup ground pecans

2 cups flour

Powdered sugar

2 tablespoons seedless raspberry preserves

Preparation

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla and almond extracts by beating in mixing bowl at medium speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. At low speed, beat in pecans. Gradually add flour until mixture comes together, about 1 minute. Divide dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 1 to 2 hours.

Roll out dough 1/8-inch thick on lightly floured surface and cut with 2-inch scalloped cookie cutter. Use 1-inch cutter to remove center of 1/2 of cookies. Put cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets and bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned, 9 to 12 minutes.

Sprinkle cut-out cookies with powdered sugar. Spread raspberry preserves on rest of cookies and top with powdered cookies.

This recipe yields about 30 cookies.