Ingredients

For the dough: 

6 Lb 12 Oz Granulated Sugar 
4 Lb 8 Oz Unsalted Butter
4 Lb 8 Oz Shortening 
4 Lb 8 Oz American Almond Hazelnut (Filbert) Flour 
1 Lb 8 Oz Toasted Cake Crumbs 
2 Lb Eggs   
3 Oz Ground Cinnamon  
1 Fl Oz Vanilla Extract  
3 Oz Baking Powder 
11 Lb 8 Oz Cake Flour 
 

For the filling:

  
Raspberry Jam as needed
Powdered sugar as needed
 

Directions

To make the Dough: Cream the sugar, butter and shortening on low speed in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until blended without aerating.

Blend in the American Almond Hazelnut (Filbert) Flour, cake crumbs, eggs, cinnamon and vanilla without over mixing.

Add the cake flour and mix on slow speed just until a smooth dough is formed.

Spread the dough out onto 2 greased sheet pans, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Sheet out the dough ?-inch thick. Using a 3-inch diameter fluted or heart-shaped cutter, cut out the desired amount of cookies and place on parchment-lined sheet-pans.

For the top of each cookie, sheet out another piece of dough ¼-inch thick. Cut out the cookies and then cut a 1-inch hole in the center of each. Carefully transfer to parchment-lined sheet pans.

Bake the cookies at 375°F to 380°F until lightly browned and crisp, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Cool completely.

Pipe raspberry jam onto the cookie bottoms. Lightly dust the cookie tops with powdered sugar and sandwich with the bottoms.
 

Finishing ideas

For your assorted fancy cookie showcase, cut the cookies using a 1 ½-inch cutter and vary the fillings.
Try apricot and other fruit flavors or warm up a good quality fudge icing and sandwich before the fudge cools.

Variations

Linzer Tart: Cut a 7-inch disc from the sheeted dough. Line a greased, 7-inch cake pan with the disc of dough. Pipe a layer of ovenproof raspberry jam on top of the dough leaving a ½ -inch border plain.  Cut 1-inch wide strips of dough and layer them in a lattice pattern on top of the jam covered dough. Make a 1-inch diameter rope from the hazelnut dough and use it to form a border on the tart.

Bake at 375°F to 380°F until lightly browned, being careful not to burn the nuts, for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely.

Formulation courtesy of American Almond