"Linzers" on a budget -- I don't own linzer cutters, but love to make my Christmas cookies a bit fancy for gifting. The thumbprint variation above is a great solution, and I like to take it one step further by making "bullseyes." I make the thumbprint cookies as described, but also use a homemade fake-it pastry bag (i.e. plastic sandwhich bag with a tiny bit of one corner cut off) to pipe little cookie dots small enough to sit in the middle of the jam centers with some jam exposed around the edges. A little trial and error may be necessary to pipe dots that bake to the right size, and keep in mind that these mini cookies don't take as long to bake. Sift powdered sugar over the dots after their baked if you'd like. After filling the thumbprint bottoms, I sit one little dot in the middle of each jam center. Voila! Bullseye cookies with no cutters, relatively little fuss or special skill, and a cute result. Erika, great idea - very creative. Thanks for sharing - PJH

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