Rose Linzer Tarts with Jujube Date & Goji Berry Jam

We can’t deny it — we just love sweet treats. What goes better with our tea than a little tart? Well….how about a spinoff of our favorite brew? We took all of the flavors of a rose tea we make daily and put them in a sandwich cookie. This is a twist on a traditional Austrian treat made with iconic ingredients used in Traditional Chinese medicine. A deliciously buttery rose shortbread pairs beautifully with a not-too-sweet date and goji berry jam and is finished off with a fresh rosebud. Let us know if you bake them and what you think! 

Yields: 24 cookies or 12 tarts 

Prep: 3 hours + overnight 

Bake: 7-9 minutes

Ingredients:

Cookie:

• 1 Shangri-La Rose
• Rosebuds 
• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ½ tsp. cinnamon 
• ½ large egg yolk 
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ cup + 1 tbsp. all purpose flour 
• 6 tbsp. almond flour 
• Pinch of salt
• Confectioners sugar for dusting 

Jujube Date & Goji Berry Jam:

• 1 cup dried red jujube dates
• 3 tbsp. goji berries
• 1.5 tbsp. light brown sugar
• 1/2-1 tbsp. cornstarch 

Recipe:

1. To make the jam: Measure out 1 cup of dried red jujube dates. De-pit dates using a small sharp knife. Measure out goji berries.
2. Add both to a small pot with water. Let the fruits come to a boil for 10 minutes. Then, let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
3. Add mixture to blender and strain using a sieve or cheesecloth. 
4. Put back on stove on low heat and add brown sugar. Keep stirring and be careful not to burn. 
5. Make a cornstarch slurry with a small amount of liquid from your pot. Add it to the larger mixture, making sure there are no clumps and it's fully incorporated. Remove from heat once mixture thickens to a jam-like consistency. 
6. Let cool and refrigerate overnight. 
7. To make the dough: Cream butter, sugar and cinnamon using an electric mixer for about 3 minutes. Using a mortle and pestle, crush petals of a single Shangri-la Rose. If you want an even deeper rose flavor, throw in a couple of Rosebuds. Combine and really work crushed flowers into the butter mixture to infuse flavors.
8. Separate the egg yolk from the white, beat the yolk with a fork and add half of it to the butter mixture, plus vanilla. Beat all until combined.
9. Whisk both flours together and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and do not over mix.
10. Divide the dough in half into disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 24 hours for a stronger infusion of rose flavor. 
11. To assemble: On a floured surface, roll one disc of dough out about 1/8"-thick using a 3" round linzer cookie cutter. Cut out cookies. Make a smaller cutout in the middle to half of your cookies (we recommend heart shapes!)
12. Transfer rounds to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gather the scrap dough, roll, and repeat. If dough becomes difficult to work with, freeze intermittently.
13. Chill cookie cut outs in fridge for 30 minutes as your oven preheats to 350°F. 
14. To bake: Bake all of the cookies for 7-9 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn brown. Let them cool for 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
15. To fill the cookies: Place the cookies with heart cut-outs (tops) over a separate surface and dust some with confectioners sugar. Spread jam onto the bottom cookies. Finish every cookie off with one rosebud.
16. Store cookies wrapped at room temperature for 2-4 days or refrigerate for longer shelf-life. Enjoy!