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1
Into large bowl, measure flour, ground almonds, butter or margarine, almond extract, salt, egg and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar.
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2
WIth mixer at low speed, beat ingredients until well blended, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.
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3
Shape dough into a ball; wrap with plastic wrap.
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4
Refrigerate dough 2 hours or until easy to handle.
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5
Preheat oven to 375F (190C).
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6
Grease 2 large cookie sheets.
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7
On lightly floured surface with lightly floured rolling pin, roll half of dough 18 inch thick, keeping remaining dough refrigerated.
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8
With floured 3 1/2 inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut dough into hearts.
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9
(Or, cut 3 1/2 inch heart-shaped pattern from cardboard; use pattern and knife to cut out cookies).
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10
With floured 1-inch round cookie cutter, cut out center from half of hearts.
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11
With pancake turner, place hearts, 1/2 inch apart on cookie sheets.
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12
Bake 10 minutes or until golden.
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13
With pancake turner, immediately remove cookies to wire racks to cool.
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14
Repeat with remaining dough and trimmings.
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15
To assemble cookies: In small bowl, stir lemon juice iwth 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar until smooth.
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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.
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17
Fill cut-out centers with a heaping 1/4 teaspoonful preserves.
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18
Sprinkle cookies lightly with confectioners' sugar.
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19
Store cookies in tightly covered containers to use up within 2 days.
