Swedish Spiced Hearts

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/2 tablespoons orange peel, freshly grated

1 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup light molasses

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1/2 cup raspberry jam, seedless, warmed

confectioners' sugar, for decoration

Directions:

1. Mix flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and orange peel.

2. Beat butter, molasses, sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer about 2 minutes until well blended.

3. Beat in the egg.

4. With mixer at low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture just until blended (dough will be sticky).

5. Divide the dough into fourths. Wrap in plastic wrap and flatten to 1 inch thick.  Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

7. Have cookie sheets ready.

8. On a lightly floured surface, roll one-fourth of the dough at a time to a 1/8 inch thickness with a floured rolling pin.

9. Cut three-inch heart shapes.  Place half the hearts 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

10. Cut a 1 1/2 inch heart from the centers of the remaining hearts. 

11. Chill and reroll scraps.

12. Bake 5 to 7 minutes until slightly browned around edges.  Remove to wire racks to cool.

13. To assemble:  brush centers of whole cookies with warm jam.  Top each with a cutout cookie.  

14. Spoon additional jam into centers.  Let it stand until the jam cools.  Dust with confectioners' sugar.