Hindbærsnitte is the latest addition to my ever-growing list of international dessert crushes. Some people liken it to homemade Pop Tarts. Others equate it to thumbprint cookies. Neither comparison comes close to the sweet splendor of this lovely Danish cookie.

Inspired by Viennese confections, hindbærsnitte was born in Copenhagen in the late 1800s. The legend goes that in 1850 Danish bakers went on a long-term strike over unfair wages. To keep the country in breads and sweets, bakers from Austria were hired to fill the vacancies. Their time in Denmark and the culinary traditions that they shared would influence the creation of many Danish baked goods, including hindbærsnitte. With its flour- and almond-based dough and thick, fruity filling this cookie does remind me of such Austrian specialties as Linzer tortes and augens.

The literal translation of hindbærsnitte is raspberry slice. Its name more or less explains the treat — baked cookie dough blanketed by raspberry preserves, topped with another sheet of baked dough and then sliced and iced or iced and sliced. The order of the last two steps is interchangeable. Keep in mind, though, that if you slice after icing, you may get jam on your icing. However, if you ice after slicing, the icing may ooze over the cookies’ sides and make them sticky to the touch.

HINDBÆRSNITTE (DANISH RASPBERRY SLICE)
To fill the hindbærsnitte, either use good quality, store-bought jam or make your own raspberry preserves.

Makes 3 dozen cookies

for the raspberry jam:
2 cups black or red raspberries
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

for the dough:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
2/3 cup ground almonds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cup butter, chilled and cut into chunks
2 eggs, whisked
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups raspberry preserves, homemade or store-bought

for the icing:
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 tablespoon orange or lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Crushed pistachios, optional, for decorating
Sugar sprinkles, optional, for decorating
Grated orange zest, optional, for decorating

If making your own jam, place the sugar, berries and lemon juice in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the berries have released all their juices and the liquid has cooked down to a thick syrup. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the jam to cool to room temperature.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, almonds and salt. Using a pastry cutter or fork, incorporate the cold butter chunks, mixing until a crumbly dough forms (see above). Add the eggs and vanilla. With a spatula or your hands mix the ingredients together until a soft dough forms. Shape the dough into two balls, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour or maximum of 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Lightly dust a clean work surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll out the first ball of dough until it’s rectangular in shape and roughly 1/4-inch thick. Trim off the ragged edges and place the dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the other dough.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the edges are golden in color. Remove the dough sheets from the oven and allow them to cool completely.

Once the dough has cooled, spread a generous amount of jam over one sheet. Place the other sheet on top of the jam-covered sheet. At this point you’re ready to ice your cookies.

To make the icing, whisk together the confectioner’s sugar, juice and vanilla extract. Spread the icing over the top of the dough. Allow the icing to harden before cutting the cookies into rectangular slices and then decorating with crushed pistachios or sugar sprinkles or grated zest or whatever strikes your fancy.