Apricot Sandwich Tea Cakes

I'm posting this in response to a request. This is from "The All-American Cookie Book" by Nancy Baggett.

• Ready In: 2 hrs
• Yields: 40 sandwich cookies

Ingredients

• 3  cups flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1  cup  cold unsalted butter
• 2  tablespoons  cold unsalted butter
• 2  large  egg yolks
• 2  tablespoons peach brandy or 2  tablespoons apricot brandy or 2  tablespoons  apricot schnapps or 2  tablespoons  orange juice
• 2  teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1  teaspoon  almond extract
• 2⁄3 cup sugar
• 1  teaspoon  finely grated lemon, zest
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  finely grated orange zest
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1  cup  apricot preserves (processed until smooth in a blender or food processor) or 1  cup  apricot jam (processed until smooth in a blender or food processor)

Directions

1. Combine the flour and baking soda in a food processor.
2. Sprinkle the butter chunks inches.
3. Pulse until the consistency of fine crumbs.
4. Turn out the mixture into a large bowl.
5. In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with the brandy (orange juice or schnapps) vanilla, almond extract, lemon and orange zests and salt until well blended Stir then knead the egg yolk mixture into the flour mixture until evenly incorporated.
6. If the dough seems dry, add up to 2 tbs of water a little at a time until evenly incorporated.
7. Divide the dough in half.
8. Place each portion between large sheets of wax paper.
9. Roll out each portion 1/8" thick, check the underside of the dough and smooth out any wrinkles that form.
10. Stack the rolled portions (paper still attached) on a baking sheet.
11. Freeze for 15 minutes or until chilled and slightly firm.
12. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
13. Grease several cookie sheets or coat with nonstick spray.
14. Working with 1 portion at a time and leaving the remaining dough in the freezer, gently peel away then pat one sheet of wax paper back into place.
15. Flip the dough over and peel off the other sheet, throw this away.
16. Using a 2-1/4" cookie cutter, cut out the cookies.
17. Using a mini cutter, cut out the center piece of half of the cookies.
18. Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to a baking sheet and freeze until firm again.
19. Reroll the scraps, using up the dough until it's gone.
20. Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, in the upper rack of the oven for 8-12 minutes or until just slightly colored on the tops and started to darken at the edges.
21. The cookies with the cutouts will cook faster than the ones without, so watch so those don't start to burn.
22. Transfer the cookie sheet to a wire rack and et the cookies firm up for 1-2 minutes, then transfer the cookies to the wire racks, let stand until cooled Once cooled, spread about 1 tsp of the preserves or jam on the underside of each cookie bottom.
23. Center the tops over the bottoms.
24. Very lightly press them together until the jam shows through the cutout.
25. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
26. Freeze for up to 2 months, but do not fill until just before serving if you plan to freeze them.