Pecan Shortbread Linzer Cookies

½ cup toasted pecan halves

¼ cup granulated sugar

3  cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

½  teaspoon salt

20 tablespoons (2½ sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted plus extra for dusting

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¾ cup raspberry jam

Nutritional information per cookie sandwich:

Calories 66 (11% from fat) • carb. 14g • pro. 1g • fat 1g sat. fat 0g • chol. 0mg • sod. 25mg • calc. 2mg • fiber 0g

1. Put the pecans and sugar into the large work bowl fitted with the large chopping blade. Pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, remove and reserve. Put the flour, confectioners’ sugar and salt into the work bowl. Pulse to mix dry ingredients together, about 2 to 3 times. Add the pecan/sugar mixture to dry ingredients.
2. Distribute the butter evenly over dry ingredients in work bowl. Pulse to cut in the butter, 10 to 12 pulses. Add the vanilla extract. Continue to pulse until the mixture forms a dense dough. Remove dough and divide into two equal disks, wrap in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least one hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
4.  
5. Remove 1 dough disk from refrigerator. On a floured surface, roll the dough into an even ¹∕8-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch fluted round cookie cutter, cut rounds and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, turning baking sheet halfway through bake time, until the edges are golden. Remove from oven and transfer cookies to a cooling rack.
6. Repeat rolling and baking with remaining dough, this time using a ¾-inch round cutter to cut out centers of the 2-inch fluted rounds.
7. Once cookies are cooled, spread ½ tablespoon of the warm jam over the entire surface of the uncut rounds. Top with the cutout rounds and press gently together to adhere. Dust the tops of the cookies with confectioners’ sugar.