Jelly Christmas Eyes

Description

 * Preparation time: 20 minutes | chilling time: 30 minutes | baking time: 10 to 12 minutes per batch.

Ingredients

 * ½ cup margarine
 * ⅓ cup sugar
 * 1 egg
 * juice of 1 lemon
 * ¼ tsp grated lemon rind
 * 1⅓ cup all-purpose flour
 * ½ cup ground almonds or walnuts
 * raspberry or strawberry jelly
 * sugar (Note: Confectioner's sugar can be used to coat the cookies in place of granulated)

Directions

 * 1) Cream margarine and sugar in mixing bowl.
 * 2) Add egg, lemon juice and lemon rind.
 * 3) Mix until smooth.
 * 4) Add flour and nuts.
 * 5) Wrap in plastic wrap and flatten.
 * 6) Refrigerate dough 30 minutes.
 * 7) Heat oven to 350°F.
 * 8) Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to ⅛-inch thickness.
 * 9) Use a round 2-inch cookie cutter to cut out circles from dough.
 * 10) Cut out an inner circle with a smaller round cookie cutter from half of the circles to make a "cookie ring".
 * 11) Bake circles and rings until light golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
 * 12) Transfer to wire rack to cool.
 * 13) Spread a small amount of jelly on each whole circle.
 * 14) Press a cookie ring on top of it.
 * 15) Shake the cookies one at a time in a bowl of sugar to coat well.
 * 16) Store in a covered dish.