LINZER COOKIES

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 large egg

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

1 package Confectioner's sugar for dusting; optional

1. In a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Cook, swirling the pan, until the butter turns a nutty brown, about 1 minute. Pour into a small bowl.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, oil and the browned butter; beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together into the sugar/egg mixture; mix on low speed just until blended.

3. Divide the dough in half; roll and freeze one half.

4. Position oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Lightly oil 2 baking sheets or coat them with non-stick cooking spray. With a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out an even number of circles. Using a thimble or 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut the center out of half of the circles. Using a metal spatula, transfer the solid cookies to a prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1/2-inch apart. Lay the cookies with the holes on top of the solid cookies.

5. In a small bowl, whisk raspberry jam until smooth. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon jam into the center of each cookie.

6. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies are firm to the touch and lightly browned on the bottom. Cool on wire racks. Dust with Confectioner's sugar, if desired.

* CHEF'S NOTE: Inspired by the Linzertorte, a buttery Austrian confection. If made with a full-fat sugar-cookie dough, these cookies would weigh in at 8 grams of fat each; the low-fat version has just 1.9 grams of fat!

Yields 2 1/2 dozen cookies

CALORIES: 60; PROTEIN: 1g; FAT: 2g; CARBS: 10g; FIBER: 0g; CHOL: 9mg; SODIUM: 40mg.

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