Linzer Cookies are rich and have an intense fruity flavor that comes from raspberry jam. These super-soft, buttery, and melt-in-mouth, sugar-dusted peekaboo shortbread cookies would brighten up any holiday dinner party season. Goes perfectly well with a cup of tea, hot chocolate, or a glass of milk.
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Table of contents
The combination of the delicious flavors, classic and buttery taste, and soft texture of these linzer cookies goes to the next level when they are combined with sweet and tart fruit jam.
A bite of this classic, buttery, jam-filled linzer cookie would burst your mouth with plenty of flavors and textures.
These traditional Austrian cookies are some of the most delicious Christmas cookies. These little delights might be Christmas cookies in the world, but in Austria, you can get them all year around.
And why should they be limited only during the holiday cookie season, these classic jewels deserve the spotlight throughout the year.
About Linzer Cookies
These cookies are sandwich shortbread cookies that are made with a combination of almond flour, plain flour, butter, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. and then baked cookies are filled with fruit jam, and you get the peekaboo cookies where your favorite jam glances from behind a buttery shortbread cookie.
For an instant Christmas treat, you can make the dough ahead, freeze, and just bake when you want. Traditional linzer cookies are made with a mix of flour and nuts and filled with fruit jam or preserves.
But nowadays, these cookies are also made nut-free and filled with various fillings such as lemon curd, Nutella, peanut butter, caramel sauce, toffee sauce, etc.
More delicious holiday cookies are: Butter cookies - Eggless Butter Biscuit - Piped cookies, Cream Cheese cookies, Lemon White Chocolate cookies, 3-Ingredient Eggless Nutella cookies, Thumbprint Cookies, and Red Velvet Crinkle cookies
What is a Linzer Cookie?
Linzer cookie is a shortbread cookie that originated from Austria, and it gained popularity about a few hundred years ago. These cookies are the miniature version of the famous Linzer torte which is basically a pie.
These jam-packed, sugar-dusted cookies make a perfect festive addition to your holiday table. Plus, this easy-to-make and fun Linzer Cookies recipe can be made with any of your favored fruit jam which is sandwiched between simple almond-based shortbread cookies.
These Linzer Cookies
✔ can be customized
✔ can be made in different shapes
✔ can be prepared with any of your fruit jam
✔ can also be made with other fillings
✔ are a perfect holiday cookie
✔ are simple and delicious buttery cookies
✔ are festive and easy to make
Linzer Cookie Ingredients
Linzer cookies are made with some simple ingredients you can get in any kitchen. Below are the important points about the ingredients you will need to bake these linzer cookies:
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All-purpose flour: This recipe uses plain all-purpose flour. If you are planning to make gluten-free linzer cookies, then swap traditional all-purpose flour with the same amount of gluten-free all-purpose flour blend for this recipe.
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Almond flour: It is the second important ingredient for this cookie recipe. You can either use store-bought almond flour or just pulse the blanched almonds and use the homemade almond meal.
In this recipe, you can also ground non-blanched almonds, they would work just fine.
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Butter: To make linzer cookies, you need unsalted butter at room temperature. Butter at room temperature blends well quickly with the sugar.
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Salt : I have used fine salt in this recipe, but you can also use sea salt or kosher salt.
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Baking powder: I have also added a little baking powder, but this is completely optional. You can skip it.
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Sugar: This recipe needs white granulated sugar for making cookie dough and confectioners or powdered sugar for dusting the tops of the cookies. For making cookie dough, you can also use brown sugar or muscovado sugar.
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Vanilla extract: I have used vanilla paste in this cookie recipe, you can also use the same amount of vanilla extract in the shortbread. You can also use almond extract in place of vanilla extract.
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Egg: You will need 1 large egg at room temperature for making cookie dough. Egg helps in binding all of the shortbread ingredients together.
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Flavorings: I have flavored cookies with ground cinnamon. Instead of cinnamon, you can also use the zest of an orange or lemon for a citrusy punch.
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Jam: Fruit jam is used as a filling for cookie sandwiches. I have used raspberry jam, you can also use cherry, strawberry, or apricot jam for filling.
How to make Linzer Cookies
Making this linzer cookie is as simple and as easy as making any other shortbread cookie. This is how it is done in 5 simple steps. Here you will see a quick process:
Step 1: Sift the dry ingredients.
Step 2: Make the cooking dough by mixing butter, sugar until it is creamy. Then add egg and vanilla and beat again.
Step 3: In the end, add flour mixture and mix well until combined. Divide the dough into two portions and form it into discs. Wrap tightly in a plastic wrap and chill for 1-2 hours.
Step 4: Roll, shape, and bake cookies.
Step 5: Assemble the cookies, by dusting the top cookies with powdered sugar and spreading base cookies with fruit jam. Place a window cookie on top to form a linzer cookie sandwich. Done!
Detailed instructions on how to make linzer cookies are included in the recipe card on this page.
Egg Substitutes for Linzer Cookies
I have added 1 whole egg to this linzer cookie recipe. You can replace it with one of the following ingredients:
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4 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk. If you are using sweetened condensed milk, then use only 6 tablespoons of sugar in this recipe.
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Flaxseed Gel: To make this gel, combine 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons water and let it swell for 10 minutes. Your gel is ready to use.
Variations:
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Linzer cookies with different fillings: Other than jam, you can also fill these Dulce de Leche,lemon curd, Nutella, peanut butter, melted chocolate, or any other types of fillings.
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Gluten-free linzer cookies: To make gluten-free linzer cookies, you will need to use an equal amount of gluten-free all-purpose blend. The rest of the recipe will be the same.
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Linzer cookies with different nuts: Instead of almond meal, you could also use cashew flour, walnut flour, or pecan flour. To make other nut flour, simply toast nuts in a pan for a couple of minutes. This toasting enhances the flavor of nut flour.
Then let them cool and pulse them in a food processor or coffee grinder to make cashew, pecan, or walnut flour.
How to store Linzer Cookies
Once cooled, these linzer cookies can be stored at room temperature in a sealed air-tight container. They stay fresh for up to 4-5 days. If you want to store them for a longer period, then refrigerate them for up to 8-10 days.
Freezing
You can freeze baked cookies or you can also freeze the unbaked dough.
To freeze the unbaked dough, transfer plastic-wrapped dough disks to a ziplock bag and remove the air as much as possible, and then freeze the dough for up to 3 months. When you want to bake the cookies, then thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator.
To freeze leftover cookies, you need to tightly wrap each cookie separately in plastic wrap first. Then place these wrapped cookies in a ziplock bag and remove excess air and then freeze for up to 3 months. Or freeze them in a freezer-safe container.
When you want to eat, unwrap the cookies and thaw them on the kitchen counter for about 1-2 hours.
More amazing Holiday desserts you may also like are: White Chocolate Rocky Road, Fruit and Nut Ice Cream, 3-Ingredient Eggless Nutella Cookies, Easy Chocolate Covered Grapes, 3-Ingredient Nutella Mousse, and Chocolate Pomegranate Bites.
Tips, & tricks to make the best linzer cookies:
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This recipe makes raspberry linzer cookies, but you can also make apricot linzer cookies or strawberry linzer cookies by swapping raspberry jam with apricot or strawberry jam.
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Traditional Austrian linzer cookies sometimes also have a splash of rum. So if you want boozy cookies, feel free to add 2-3 tablespoons of rum to the jam.
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Shape: These cookies can be cut out into different shapes and sizes, so feel free to use any of your favorite cookie cutters and have fun while cutting these cookies.
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Citrus: You can also add some lemon or orange zest to the cookie dough. Even a splash of lemon or orange juice can also be added to enhance the citrus flavor in this linzer cookie recipe.
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Sweetness: I prefer cookies which are not too sweet. It’s because the center is filled with sweet fruit jam and this way these cookies perfectly balance with the sweet filling. If you like sweeter cookies, then you can add up to 3/4 cup of sugar.
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Bake in advance: You can bake these linzer cookies up to 5-6 days in advance and store them in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator. For a perfect taste and texture, assemble the cookies with jam only on the day you are planning to serve them.
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Yield: This recipe makes about 15 sandwich cookies (30 cookies). The yield may vary depending on the thickness of your rolled-out cookie, size, and the shape of the cookie cutter that you are using.
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Salt: You can also use fine sea salt or kosher salt.
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Linzer Cookie Cutters: For cutting cookies, I have used a linzer cookie cutter set (which comes with interchangeable shapes). You can either use a linzer cookie cutter set, or any other type of cookie cutter of your choice.
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You can also flavor up your jam by adding citrus zest and stirring it.
FAQs
What are Linzer cookies made of?
Linzer cookies are Austrian shortbread cookies where the cookie dough incorporates ingredients such as flour, almond flour, butter, sugar, egg, cinnamon, and vanilla. These cookies are generally filled with fruit jam or preserves.
Can I use a different type of jam?
Yes, certainly you can do that. Feel free to choose any jam of your choice.
How long can Linzer cookie dough be refrigerated?
The dough needs to be cold for rolling, so it should be refrigerated for 1-2 hours or until firm. It can also be made up in advance and stored well-wrapped for up to 4-5 days in the fridge.
Can I bake Linzer cookies in advance?
Yes, these Cookies can be baked 2 days ahead. Wrap them tightly, and store at room temperature. When you want to eat, fill the cookies.
What is the filling of a Linzer cookie?
Traditional Austrian Linzer cookies are made either using raspberry jam filling or red currant jam filling. You can also use other fruit jams or preserves such as black currant jam, apricot jam, blueberry jam, cherry jam, or even strawberry jam.
What is the perfect thickness of linzer cookies?
Linzer cookies have to be rolled out really thin, about ⅛ inch thick. This is because we would stack the cookies, and the cookie to jam ratio should be perfect for the taste and texture.
Linzer Cookies (Step-by-step photo instructions)
For making Linzer Cookies
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, almond flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Set it aside.
- To make cookie dough; in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until it is light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed, for about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat until well combined.
- Add dry flour mixture in 2 batches and mix to incorporate, or until just combined. Don't overbeat. You can also stir the mixture with a spatula.
- Divide the cookie dough into 2 portions, pat each half on a plastic wrap, and press into small disks. Refrigerate the discs for at least 1-2 hours or until firm. If you are in a hurry, then you can also freeze them for 30 minutes to 1 hour. We need the chilled dough for easier rolling.
- When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. To make cookies, remove the dough from the refrigerator and uncover it. At this point, the dough should be chilled, yet soft enough to roll. If it feels rock hard, then let it soften for 5-10 minutes at room temperature.
- Dust the flour on the surface and roll the disk of dough 1/8 inch thick. For easier rolling, you can also roll the dough on floured parchment paper.
- Using the desired cookie cutter (I am using round), cut out as many rounds of dough as you can. Then using a smaller round cookie cutter or round piping tip to cut to make a window cutout in the center of half the cookies.
- Remove the cookies, and gather the dough. Re-roll the scraps, and repeat. If the dough becomes sticky while rolling then place it back in the refrigerator to chill for about 20-30 minutes or until it is chilled and firm.
- Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet. Re-roll scraps and repeat until all the dough is used up. You should have about 30 cookies, I have made 2 batches, so I have about 60 cookies.
- To bake: Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 7 to 9 minutes, or until cookies are lightly golden on the edges. Remove the cookies, and let them cool for 5 minutes on the pan, and then place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Place all cookies with the holes in them on a wire rack and dust generously powdered or confectioners' sugar over the top.
- For the base of the cookie, spread about 1/2 teaspoon of raspberry jam into the center, spreading it slightly. You can use either side of the cookie for placing the filling. To make sandwich cookies, top each jam-filled cookie with sugar-dusted cookies.
- Linzer cookies are ready to enjoy. They taste best when enjoyed the same day when they are baked. To store, place them in an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 4-5 days days or up to 8-10 days in the refrigerator. Or freezer them for up to 3 months.
Recipe Card
Linzer Cookies [Recipe]
★★★★★
(Rating: 5 from 11 reviews)
| Prep time 🕐 | Cook time 🕐 | Total time 🕐 |
|---|---|---|
| 34 mins | ||
| Category ☶ | Cuisine ♨ | Serves ☺ |
| Desserts | European | 30 small sandwich cookies |
| Nutrition Info ⊛ | Serving size ⊚ | |
| 109 calories | 1 cookie |
INGREDIENTS
For Linzer Cookies
- 1 1/4 cups almond flour
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 teaspoon of fine sea salt or kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste or extract
- 3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (5oz/142g) butter softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup raspberry jam or any other jam, strained or whisked
- 2-3 tablespoons Confectioners' sugar for dusting
INSTRUCTIONS:
For making Linzer Cookies
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, almond flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Set it aside.
- To make cookie dough; in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until it is light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed, for about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat until well combined.
- Add dry flour mixture in 2 batches and mix to incorporate, or until just combined. Don't overbeat. You can also stir the mixture with a spatula.
- Divide the cookie dough into 2 portions, pat each half on a plastic wrap, and press into small disks. Refrigerate the discs for at least 1-2 hours or until firm. If you are in a hurry, then you can also freeze them for 30 minutes to 1 hour. We need the chilled dough for easier rolling.
- When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. To make cookies, remove the dough from the refrigerator and uncover it. At this point, the dough should be chilled, yet soft enough to roll. If it feels rock hard, then let it soften for 5-10 minutes at room temperature.
- Dust the flour on the surface and roll the disk of dough 1/8 inch thick. For easier rolling, you can also roll the dough on floured parchment paper.
- Using the desired cookie cutter (I am using round), cut out as many rounds of dough as you can. Then using a smaller round cookie cutter or round piping tip to cut to make a window cutout in the center of half the cookies.
- Remove the cookies, and gather the dough. Re-roll the scraps, and repeat. If the dough becomes sticky while rolling then place it back in the refrigerator to chill for about 20-30 minutes or until it is chilled and firm.
- Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet. Re-roll scraps and repeat until all the dough is used up. You should have about 30 cookies, I have made 2 batches, so I have about 60 cookies.
- To bake: Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 7 to 9 minutes, or until cookies are lightly golden on the edges. Remove the cookies, and let them cool for 5 minutes on the pan, and then place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Place all cookies with the holes in them on a wire rack and dust generously powdered or confectioners' sugar over the top.
- For the base of the cookie, spread about 1/2 teaspoon of raspberry jam into the center, spreading it slightly. You can use either side of the cookie for placing the filling. To make sandwich cookies, top each jam-filled cookie with sugar-dusted cookies.
- Linzer cookies are ready to enjoy. They taste best when enjoyed the same day when they are baked. To store, place them in an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 4-5 days days or up to 8-10 days in the refrigerator. Or freezer them for up to 3 months.
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NOTES:
- These cookies can be cut out into different shapes and sizes, so feel free to use any of your favorite cookie cutters and have fun while cutting these cookies.
- This recipe makes raspberry linzer cookies, but you can also make apricot linzer cookies or strawberry linzer cookies by swapping raspberry jam with apricot or strawberry jam.
- You can also add some lemon or orange zest to the cookie dough. Even a splash of lemon or orange juice can also be added to enhance the citrus flavor in this linzer cookie recipe.
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Author: Anupama
Recipe Source Link: https://www.mygingergarlickitchen.com/linzer-cookies/