2 sticks of butter, softened

1 cup confectioners sugar

2 teaspoons almond extract

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup finely ground almonds

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

Cream together butter and 3/4 cup of the confectioners sugar. 

Beat in almond extract.

In another bowl, combine flour, almonds, and salt.  Add milk and then flour mixture to creamed butter in three batches, alternating milk and dry ingredients.  Mix thoroughly at medium speed between additions.  Knead gently on board to form a disk.  Cover with plastic and chill at  least 3 hours.

To bake, preheat oven to 350.  Sift remaining 1/4 cup sugar into small bowl and set aside.

Cut dough in half and return one piece to refrigerator.  Roll out dough on board dusted with confectioners sugar to 1/8 inch thickness.  Cut out with tiny heart shaped cookie cutter about 1 1/2 inches wide and transfer to ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake until edges are golden, 18 to 20 minutes.  Transfer to racks.  Re-roll scraps and remaining dough and continue cutting and baking.

While still hot, spread the bottoms of half the cookies with jam.  Place an uncoated cookie  over the jelly, bottom to bottom and press together to sandwich the filling.  Let cool and then dip each in confectioners sugar to coat, shaking off excess sugar. Cool on racks before storing.

Makes about 40 tiny cookies