Parisian Hearts

Directions

1. 1
   Into large bowl, measure flour, ground almonds, butter or margarine, almond extract, salt, egg and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar.
2. 2
   WIth mixer at low speed, beat ingredients until well blended, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.
3. 3
   Shape dough into a ball; wrap with plastic wrap.
4. 4
   Refrigerate dough 2 hours or until easy to handle.
5. 5
   Preheat oven to 375F (190C).
6. 6
   Grease 2 large cookie sheets.
7. 7
   On lightly floured surface with lightly floured rolling pin, roll half of dough 18 inch thick, keeping remaining dough refrigerated.
8. 8
   With floured 3 1/2 inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut dough into hearts.
9. 9
   (Or, cut 3 1/2 inch heart-shaped pattern from cardboard; use pattern and knife to cut out cookies).
10. 10
    With floured 1-inch round cookie cutter, cut out center from half of hearts.
11. 11
    With pancake turner, place hearts, 1/2 inch apart on cookie sheets.
12. 12
    Bake 10 minutes or until golden.
13. 13
    With pancake turner, immediately remove cookies to wire racks to cool.
14. 14
    Repeat with remaining dough and trimmings.
15. 15
    To assemble cookies: In small bowl, stir lemon juice iwth 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar until smooth.
16. 16
    Spread a thin layer of lemon icing on hearts without cut-out centers; top each with a heart with cut-out center, gently pressing hearts together.
17. 17
    Fill cut-out centers with a heaping 1/4 teaspoonful preserves.
18. 18
    Sprinkle cookies lightly with confectioners' sugar.
19. 19
    Store cookies in tightly covered containers to use up within 2 days.