LINZER COOKIES

Linzer Cookies are a classic holiday cookie popular at Christmas cookie exchanges! Classic Linzer cookie recipe made with buttery shortbread & filled with sweet jam.

From the incredible cookies sandwiching your favorite jam, to the powdered sugar on top, these Linzer heart cookies are a perfect treat that has been enjoyed for decades. We love the raspberry Linzer cookies during the holiday season, they make a perfect treat to gift to family and friends.

What Are Linzer Cookies?

These are crisp almond cookies sandwiched around raspberry jam and given a small window to allow you a peek at the tasty jam inside too. Originally made to be a smaller version of a Linzer torte, these cookies have become a classic in their own right. Just a little sweetness from the powdered sugar and jam pairing with the buttery crisp cookies, make these cookies irresistible. The cookie dough is soft and buttery, it pairs perfectly with any type of jam and the sprinkle of powder sugar is the perfect topping to finish it off.

Why we think you will LOVE this cookie recipe

Just in case you were not already gathering the ingredients to make these sensational cookies, here are a few more reasons to convince you to.

• Two flours make them even better. Making the Linzer cookies with almond flour and all-purpose flour will give us a wonderful texture and flavor in every bite.
• Minimal ingredients. Making shortbread means we do not have to worry about too many ingredients, and these shortbread Linzer cookies are the same. We don’t need leavening agents or more than just a few ingredients to pull this recipe together.
• They are versatile! You can swap out the jam for different flavored fillings or adjust the flavoring in the cookies to make them match your tastes. We have raspberry, vanilla, and cinnamon in this recipe, but check out the notes below for some other tasty variations.

Linzer Cookies Ingredients

Flours: You will need a little more than 1 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour for the recipe and dusting, as well as ¾ cups of almond flour to get these cookies the perfect texture for the cookie base.

Salt: Use ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt for enhancing the flavors in the cookies.

Cinnamon: By adding in ½ teaspoons of ground cinnamon it adds a nice warmth of spice in every bite.

Butter: You will need ¾ cups of room temperature unsalted butter (this is 12 tablespoons).

Sugar: ½ cup of granulated sugar is needed to make the cookies nicely sweetened and chewy.

Egg: You will want to use 1 egg to bind the dough together well.

Vanilla extract: Add in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to make the cookies taste even better. High-quality vanilla will add an even stronger flavor.

Jam: Use ½ cup of raspberry jam as the filling in the cookies.

Powdered sugar: For a nice appearance, use a little sifted powdered sugar over the top of the cookies before serving.

How to make Linzer Cookies

Cookie dough

In a small bowl, whisk together both types of the flour, salt, and cinnamon until combined, and then set it aside.

Next, in the bowl of a stand mixer that was fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the softened butter and sugar, on medium speed until light and fluffy. This usually takes about 3 to 5 minutes.

Then, add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix again until combined.

Using a rubber spatula, fold in the dry flour mixture into the butter mixture and stir to incorporate. The dough will look dry at first, but as you mix, it will hydrate and look more uniform.

Proceed to spread the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and press it out into a flat disc. Wrap it in the plastic wrap until well covered.

Then place the dough into the fridge and let it chill for 1-2 hours or until firm.

Bake

When you are ready to bake the cookies, prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper and then set them aside.

Start to preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Next, roll out the dough onto a floured surface until it is 1/8 of an inch thick.

Use a 2.75-inch round cookie cutter to cut out the cookie shapes.

After that, use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter or another small cookie cutter shape, to cut holes out of the center of half of the cookies. Each cookie will have a top and bottom, the top cookie will have the center cut out.

Continue to gently transfer the cookies to the baking sheets and keep them spaced at least 1 inch apart from each other.

Reroll and cookie dough scraps and cut more cookies, making sure to get half of the cookies to have their centers removed, as before. If the dough is too warm to handle, place it into the fridge to firm up again.

Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to brown and the middle of the cookies look set and no longer shiny. These cookies are thin so they can burn quickly, be sure to watch them closely.

Assemble

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes or until they are firm enough to be transported to a wire rack to continue cooling.

Then, place all of the cookies with their center holes removed onto a baking sheet or another easily cleanable surface.

Dust the tops of these cookies with powdered sugar by running it through a fine-mesh sieve.

Spread about ½ a teaspoon of jam onto the bottom side of the cookies that do not have holes cut from them.

Proceed to sandwich the cookies together with the powdered sugar-coated top pieces.

Serve immediately and enjoy these beautiful and tasty treats!

Fun Flavor Variations

Here are just a couple of ideas to switch up the flavors in this amazing cookie recipe.

• Filling: Any other flavor of jam would work great here, as well as curds, caramel, or nut butter. You can also use homemade jam too! Make sure to store the leftover cookies in the fridge if the filling you use needs to be refrigerated.
• Cookie: The cookie is lightly flavored with cinnamon and vanilla. You can adjust these components to your liking. You can also add almond extract to enhance the flavor of the almond flour. Some people like a lemon flavor in their Linzer cookies and about ½ tsp of lemon zest added to the dough will achieve that.

How long are Linzer Cookies good for?

Linzer cookies taste the best the day they are made, but they can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 3-4 days. The cookies will get softer over time as they absorb some of the moisture from the jam.

How can I make these ahead?

The dough can be made ahead and stored tightly wrapped in the fridge for about 5 days or in the freezer for about 2 months.

If you are storing it in the freezer, place the wrapped dough inside of a freezer ziplocked bag to prevent freezer burn. You can also store the cookies unfilled at room temperature for about 2 days and fill them before you are ready to eat them. This prevents them from getting too soft.

Can I use a different cookie cutter?

Yes! You can try out different shapes for the overall cookie and the cutouts. You can also change the size of the cookies pretty easily. There are also cookie cutters made specifically for Linzer cookies that have the middle cut out attached to the outside ring. This ensures that the cutout is centered every time.

Make sure if you change the shape and size of the cookies that you monitor them closely as they are baking because the bake time will change. I also enjoy baking up the little heart cutouts as a decoration for a cookie platter or a chef’s snack no one needs to know about!

Here is Scout, happily modeling a hat my son made in a class at school! Such a good pupper!

More Holiday Cookie Recipes to Check Out Soon

• SWEETHEART VALENTINE THUMBPRINT COOKIES
• CHOCOLATE HEART VALENTINE’S SUGAR COOKIES
• RED VELVET VALENTINES CAKE MIX COOKIES
• ICED GNOME COOKIES
• PEPPERMINT BUTTER COOKIES
• CINNAMON ROLL COOKIES
• RED VELVET 4TH OF JULY COOKIES
• BIG FAT MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
• LEMON MELTAWAY COOKIES
• HOLIDAY SPICED SNICKERDOODLES
• CRANBERRY PISTACHIO SNOWBALLS
• LEMON THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Linzer Cookies are a fantastic holiday treat that should to be at every Christmas cookie exchange. This linzer cookie recipe is made with a lovely shortbread cookie dough and a smooth jam filing.