Make the Cookies

1. Preheat Oven: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). This ensures your oven is ready once the cookie dough is prepared.
2. Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and powdered sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This should take about 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer on medium speed.
3. Add Vanilla: Once the butter and sugar are well combined, mix in the vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
4. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground almonds, cinnamon, and salt.
5. Mix Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed until the dough comes together. It should be smooth and slightly sticky.

Shape & Bake

1. Roll Out Dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch.
2. Cut Shapes: Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes from the dough. For half of the cookies, use a smaller cutter to create cut-out centers. This will allow the citrus curd to peek through and add visual appeal.
3. Bake: Arrange the cookies on a prepared baking sheet, leaving a small gap between each. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden.
4. Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Prepare Citrus Curd

1. Mix Ingredients: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the freshly squeezed orange juice, lemon juice, sugar, and eggs until well combined.
2. Cook: Place the saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, until it thickens. This should take about 8-10 minutes. The curd is ready when it coats the back of the spoon.
3. Add Butter and Zest: Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the cubed butter and citrus zests until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth.
4. Cool: Transfer the citrus curd to a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to use.

Assemble

1. Spread Curd: Once the cookies and curd are completely cooled, spread a generous amount of citrus curd on the bottom side of each solid cookie.
2. Top with Cut-Outs: Place a cookie with a cut-out center on top of each curd-covered cookie, gently pressing them together to form a sandwich.
3. Dust with Sugar: If desired, dust the tops of the cookies with powdered sugar for an extra touch of sweetness and a festive look.