Step 1: Prepare the dry ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, cinnamon, cloves, and salt until well combined. Set aside.

Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar
In a large bowl using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the room-temperature butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until light, fluffy, and pale in color. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Step 3: Add the egg yolks and flavorings
Add the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and lemon zest to the butter mixture. Beat on medium speed until fully incorporated and smooth, about 1-2 minutes.

Step 4: Incorporate the dry ingredients
With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix just until the dough comes together and no flour streaks remain. Don’t overmix or the cookies will be tough.

Step 5: Chill the dough
Divide the dough in half and shape each portion into a flat disk about 1 inch thick. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. The dough needs to be well-chilled to roll out properly.

Step 6: Preheat and prep
When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Step 7: Roll out the dough
Remove one disk of dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about ⅛-inch thickness. If the dough is too hard to roll, let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften slightly.

Step 8: Cut out the cookies
Using your larger cookie cutter (2-3 inches), cut out as many cookies as possible from the rolled dough. For half of these cookies, use your smaller cutter to cut out a shape from the center—these will be your tops. Place all cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Gather the scraps, re-roll, and cut out more cookies. Repeat with the second disk of dough.

Step 9: Bake the cookies
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are just beginning to turn light golden. The cookies should look set but not browned. The cookies with cutouts may bake slightly faster, so watch them carefully. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Step 10: Prepare the jam
If your jam is very thick, you can warm it slightly and stir until smooth to make spreading easier. If it’s too runny, you can simmer it in a small saucepan for a few minutes to thicken it slightly. Let it cool before using.

Step 11: Assemble the cookies
Once the cookies are completely cool, lay out all the solid bottom cookies (without cutouts) on your work surface. Spread about ½-1 teaspoon of jam on each bottom cookie, leaving a small border around the edges.

Step 12: Dust and sandwich
Dust the top cookies (with cutouts) generously with powdered sugar using a fine-mesh sieve. Carefully place each dusted top cookie over a jam-covered bottom cookie, pressing gently to create a sandwich. The jam should peek through the cutout center.

Step 13: Final dust
Give the assembled cookies one more light dusting of powdered sugar if desired for an extra beautiful finish.