Spitzbuben (Swiss Jam Cookies)

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 cups butter (or margarine)
• 2 1/4 cups ground blanched almonds (may be called almond meal at the store)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla flavoring
• 3 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• fruit jam (flavor of your choice, but make sure there are no fruit chunks in it)
• confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. 1

   Beat the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy.

2. 2

   Beat in the almond meal and vanilla flavoring.

3. 3

   Add the flour and knead until smooth.

4. 4

   Chill dough in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

5. 5

   Preheat over to 325 degrees.

6. 6

   Roll out the dough on a lightly floured cutting board to the thickness of 1/8"-1/4" (the thinner the dough, the better the cookie).

7. 7

   Cut with small round, star, or diamond-shaped cookie cutters.

8. 8

   Use a smaller cookie cutter to cut a "window" in half the cookies (these will be the top of the cookie sandwiches).

9. 9

   Place all the cookies on lightly buttered and floured cookie sheets.

10. 10

    Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden.

11. 11

    Remove cookies from the baking sheet and let cool.

12. 12

    Spread the cookies without a "window" with fruit jam.

13. 13

    Coat the cookies with "windows" in confectioners' sugar, and then place on top of the cookies with fruit jam.