Name: Spiced Linzer Ghost Cookies
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H45M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT3H30M0.000S
Yield: 14 to 16 cookies
Ingredients: 1 cup whole pecans, toasted; 2/3 cup granulated sugar; 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting; 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon baking powder; 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature; 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar; 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon grated orange zest; 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar; 3 to 5 tablespoons whole milk; White sanding sugar, for sprinkling; 1/2 cup fig or raspberry jam or orange marmalade

Directions

Pulse the pecans and 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a food processor until very finely ground but not pasty. Add the flour, pie spice, salt and baking powder; pulse to combine. In a large bowl, beat the butter, remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar and the brown sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the egg, vanilla and orange zest, then beat in the nut-flour mixture until combined. Divide the dough in half; wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out ghosts using a 3-inch cookie cutter and arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Reroll the scraps up to two more times and cut out more cookies. If the dough becomes too soft to work with, briefly refrigerate. For half the cookies, punch out eyes and a mouth using a wooden skewer and straw or piping tips; these will be the cookie tops. Refrigerate all the cutouts until firm, about 30 minutes.
Bake the cookies, switching the pans halfway through, until golden around the edges and on the bottom, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the pans, then transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely.
Set a rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 3 tablespoons milk in a medium shallow bowl; whisk in more milk until the icing is thick but still runny. Carefully dip the cookie tops in the icing, letting the excess drip off. Transfer to the rack and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Let set about 20 minutes.
Spread about 1 heaping teaspoon jam on the plain cookies. Set the iced cookies on top.

Photograph by Yunhee Kim

Spiced Linzer Ghost Cookies

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