Description
Classic Linzer Cookies are delicate sandwich cookies filled with sweet raspberry jam and dusted with powdered sugar. These buttery, tender cookies have a subtle almond flavor and feature charming cut-out shapes for a festive presentation. Perfect for holiday cookie trays, they combine a crisp texture with a fruity jam center in an elegant treat that’s surprisingly easy to make.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar (firmly packed)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ⅔ cup almond flour (see note to make nut free)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
Filling and Finishing
- ⅓ cup raspberry jam
- Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Beat the butter and sugars: In a large bowl, combine the softened butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and ground cinnamon if using. Use an electric mixer to beat the mixture on medium speed for 30 to 60 seconds until it is light and fluffy. Then, stir in the vanilla extract thoroughly.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, almond flour, cornstarch, and salt to ensure they are evenly mixed.
- Make the dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, stirring gently until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; the dough should be fully combined but still tender.
- Chill the dough: Divide the dough into two equal portions and shape each into a flat disc. Wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up the dough.
- Preheat the oven: While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll and cut the dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough to about ⅛ inch thick. Use a 2½ inch cookie cutter with scalloped edges to cut out rounds. Arrange them spaced about 2 inches apart on a prepared baking sheet. For half of these cookies, use a smaller cutter—like a heart, star, or the larger circular end of a piping tip—to cut shapes out of the center, creating windows.
- Bake the cookies: Place the cookies with cutouts on one baking sheet and the solid cookies on a separate sheet to ensure even baking. Bake in the preheated oven for 9 to 10 minutes, or until the edges just begin to turn a light golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely on the baking sheets.
- Assemble the cookies: Once cooled, dust the tops of the cookies with cutouts with powdered sugar if desired. Spread about a heaping teaspoon of raspberry jam onto the bottom side of each solid cookie, then sandwich with a cutout cookie on top, aligning them gently.
Notes
- Linzer cookies are an elegant choice for holiday cookie trays and look stunning with their classic cut-out shapes.
- For a nut-free version, substitute almond flour with an equal amount of all-purpose flour or oat flour.
- Using powdered sugar dusting is optional but adds a beautiful festive touch.
- The small cutout shapes from the centers of cookies can be saved and re-rolled to make extra cookies.
- This recipe comes with a step-by-step video guide to help you through the process.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 159 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
