Lemon Poppy Seed Linzer Cookies

I am already craving spring. Actually about a month ago I was already craving spring. We've had a few days of weather in the 60's this past week and I wish it would stay, but knowing Virginia we will probably get one more blizzard before we get warm days again. So sit back, grab a cup of tea and this zingy Linzer cookie and enjoy until we see green grass and flowers again. Cheers!

Ingredients:

8 oz good butter (I like Kerrygold salted)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
2 lemons zested
2 lemons juiced
2 tbsp poppy seeds

Topping:

- lemon curd or jam of your liking (I use Bonne Maman)
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. With you mixer on medium-low speed, cream your butter and sugar together
2. Turn your mixer to low and slowly add your flour, poppy seeds, lemon zest and lemon juice
3. Once everything has combined remove from mixer and pat your shortbread down on plastic wrap so it is easier to roll out later. Place your shortbread in the refrigerator for 1 hour to chill
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit 
5. Once dough has chilled roll out to 1/4 inch thick
6. Cut your cookies out with your cookie cutter. For half of the cookies, cut out a hole in the middle or if you have a tiny cookie cutter, use that!
7. Place your cookies on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes flipping the tray halfway until the edges of the cookies start to brown
8. Allow cookies to come to room temperature. Once cooled, spread your curd on each solid cookie
9. On the cut-out cookie, use a fine mesh sieve to dust your cookies with the powdered sugar. Once fully powdered, place the cut-out cookie on top of the other cookie with the curd