Linzer Cookies (Day 5)

Name: Linzer Cookies (Day 5)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 Vanilla spiced cookie dough recipe; 1/2 tsp Almond extract; 1/2 cup Raspberry jam; 2 tbsp Icing sugar (for dusting); Demerara sugar

Sugar cookie dough baked and sandwiched between raspberry jam. They are crumbly, fruit, delicious and simple to make.

Welcome to day 5 of my 12 Days Of Christmas Cookie Series. We are keeping things fruity and simple with the addition of raspberry jam and a little almond extract. A traditional Linzer cookie has almond meal and almond extract in the dough. Also it doesn’t have to be almond, you can use any nuts in the dough but it must be in powder form. This dough doesn’t have almond meal/flour in the dough but it does have almond extract which lends a very helpful hand on the flavor on the cookie once baked. The trick to making these cookies delicious is having a thicker base and thinner top. This gives the cookie and jam ration a good balance when eaten.

What ingredients do we need to make these Linzer Cookies?

Cookies –

The cookie dough used to make this recipe is my no fuss Vanilla Spiced Sugar Cookie, it was the foundation recipe for day 1 of my 12 Days Of Christmas Cookie Recipes. To flavor the dough I used almond extract, you could use almond essence if you like but a little goes a long way, always add less and then you can add more if needed. Smell the dough to see if the flavor is prominent enough.

Almond extract –

If you don’t have almond extract, you could use essence or flavoring liquid. I would recommend using little at a time as mentioned above as this stuff is strong. So a little goes a long way.

Icing sugar –

Tranditional Linzer cookies must have that snowfall like dusting of sugar on the top and that comes from icing sugar. You don’t need it but it does add a little more of a festive vibe to the cookie.

Raspberry jam –

I have used store bought raspberry jam but you can use any jam you like. I have made these cookies even using lemon curd (find this recipe in Day 2 of my 12 Day of Christmas Cookies Series with the Lemon Thumbprint Cookie recipe linked here). Sometimes you can also use Nutella, nut butter spread or cookie spread to sandwich these cookies together.

What equipment do you need to make these Linzer Cookies?

To mix the cookie dough together we need a bowl and spatula. We also need cling wrap and a rolling pin to roll out the cookies. I used a round cookie cutter to make the circles and a tree to cut out the inside shape. You can use stars, or any shapes you like. You can use different sizes to make these cookies as well. I used store bough jam here hence no equipment needed except a spoon to fill the cookies. We will need a strainer to dust the icing sugar on top of the cookies.

How to make these Linzer Cookies?

We start by crumbling the prepared cookie dough into a bowl, add the almond extract and mix well until combined. I use a rubber spatula to mix this together. Roll the dough between two sheets of cling film fairly thick, I like the bottom of the cookies to be little less than 1/4 inch thick. Dunk the cookie cutter in flour before you cut out the circle shapes. Transfer the rounds to a baking tray. You don’t need to keep too much space between them as they don’t spread much. Bake at 170℃ for 10 mins until the edges are a little colored and the top is dry to touch. Roll out the dough again and this time thinner than before, cut out the round and cut out a tree shape in the center with a Christmas tree cutter, transfer to the baking tray and bake for 8-10 mins. Since they are hollow cookies, they burn fast so keep an eye on them and remember, they will firm up as they cool down. Take them out of the oven and let them cool completely before icing.

Optional: Sometimes I like rolling this dough in Demerara sugar (granulated brown sugar), cutting and baking. It makes for very crunchy cookie and the sugar specked through the dough is extremely cute.

Once the cookies are cooled, line the hollow center/thinner ones on plate and dust with icing sugar until it has an even layer of the sugar on top. In another plate, add the bottom cookie discs and fill with your favorite jam. Sandwich with the sugar dusted cookies and and serve.

How to store these Linzer Cookies?

Once the cookies are sandwiched I would recommend storing them in an air tight jar, at room temperature for a 3-4 days. The cookies that are not sandwiched can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 10 days. They might get a little soft if stored longer. You can toast them in the oven for 1-2 mins and let them cool down to get their crunch again.

Pro Tips for the perfect Linzer Cookies

Cookie dough –

The cookie dough must be fridge cold before you crumble and mix in the almond extract. This will ensure your dough doesn’t get too soft and give you clean edges when cutting out the dough.

Rolling the dough –

I would recommend rolling the dough between two sheet of cling film, this will help ensure the dough doesn’t stick to the surface and you get clean edges with every cookie that is cut.

Do not over bake –

Half of these cookies have a hollow center, hence I would recommend you do not over bake them since they will bake fast. They will firm up as they cool down so it they are a little soft when they come of the oven it is fine. I always like to bake the bottom cookies separately and they top cookies need a little less time to bake.

Filling the cookie –

Do not over fill the cookie as the jam will spill out, I would recommend filling it in the center and sandwiching the top top spread it out on its own.

Jam –

I have used a thick jam here and you must also. A compote or any syrup like preserve won’t work. It must be jam consistency. If your jam is lumpy, give it a good mix before dolloping onto the cookie.

These are so yummy but also so pretty and very festive. Great creative and customize the shapes as you please. Now that we have covered how to make these Linzer Cookies, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it. Do forget to follow along for more holiday baking recipe inspiration.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.