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1
For the Dough: cream softened butter with powdered sugar until well blended.
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2
Add the orange extract to the butter mixture and stir well to incorporate.
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3
Stir in the sifted flour one cup at a time, mixing well.
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4
Chill dough 2 or more hours before rolling.
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5
Fill with raspberry or apricot preserves or a mixture of the two.
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6
Preheat oven to 350u00b0F.
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7
Roll out dough on lightly floured board with floured rolling pin until about 1/4 inch thick.
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8
Cut with 2 inch round cutter (scalloped cutter is nice) and place on ungreased baking sheet.
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9
Cut out small center circle with 1 inch or smaller cutter in 1/2 of the cookies.
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10
(Reroll scraps as you go).
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11
Bake at 350u00b0F for about 12 minutes, until pale golden and edges are starting to brown.
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12
Cool completely on a wire rack at least 1/2 hour.
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13
Place all the tops (with the inner circles cut out) close together on a sheet of waxed paper.
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14
Dust sifted powdered sugar thickly over the tops.
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15
Place the bottoms on another sheet of waxed paper.
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16
Spread 2 teaspoons preserves very carefully on each bottom cookie.
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17
Spread evenly leaving 1/4 inch rim without preserves around the edge.
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18
Spread the preserves without picking up the cookie; use a flat knife and work right on the waxed paper covered surface.
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19
Top each preserve covered bottom cookie with a sugared top cookie, lightly holding it at the edges.
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20
Carefully transfer to a serving plate.
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21
Do not try to stack or store these very long.
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22
The basic cookies could be packed and frozen, but the assembled cookies should be made the day they are to be served.
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23
PS the original recipe gave the above warning about stacking and storing, but I have made them at Christmas and stacked them between sheets of waxed paper in a tin with no problem.
