Notice that these cookies have no soda, baking powder or cream of tartar, but rather, corn starch.  

You will need two cookie cutters of the same design, one small enough to cut into the larger cookie.                      

Ingredients:

1. 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2. ¼ cup cornstarch
3. ¼ teaspoon salt
4. ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temp
5. 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
6. 1 ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
7. 1 cup granulated sugar
8. 1 whole egg
9. 1 egg yolk
10. jam

Directions:

1. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
2. Combine the butter, vanilla, lemon zest in a large bowl.  Beat until light.
3. Add the sugar and continue to beat until thoroughly incorporated.
4. Add the whole egg and the egg yolk and beat until light and fluffy.
5. Add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated.
6. Gather the dough and divide into 3 disks.  Roll out between two sheets of waxed paper to a 1/8”thickness.  Chill until firm wrapped in waxed paper. (1 hour to overnight)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper

1. Take out cookie dough one sheet at a time from the refrigerator and turn onto a lightly floured surface.  Cut to a 1/8” thickness and cut with a decorative cookie cutter.
2. Place on baking sheet ½” apart.  Put scraps in refrigerator.
3. Bake cookies until edges are golden, about 10 minutes.
4. Transfer to racks to cool.
5. Bake another batch in the same manner but when they are on the baking sheet,  with a smaller cookie cutter cut a small window in the cookie.  Bake and cool as above.
6. When all the cookies are cut, gather the scraps and re-roll.  Cut out other whole cookies and “hole” cookies.  Continue as above.
7. Keep your window cookies on one cooling rack and your whole ones on another.  Sieve confectioner’s sugar over the tops, if desired.
8. Spread jam on the bottoms of half of the cookies.
9. Top with remaining cookies, bottom sides down.
10. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.