Description
Soft and Sweet Linzer Cookies are delicate sandwich cookies featuring a tender buttery dough with a hint of almond and vanilla, filled with sweet raspberry or strawberry jam and topped with a dusting of powdered sugar. Perfectly flaky and melt-in-your-mouth, these classic cookies are ideal for holidays or any special occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Linzer Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter, left out at room temperature for 10 minutes
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1-2 cups raspberry or strawberry jam
- 1 cup powdered sugar, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and salt on medium speed until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add Eggs and Extracts: Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add vanilla and almond extracts, mixing until fully combined and smooth.
- Add Flour: Reduce the mixer speed to low, gradually add the all-purpose flour, and mix just until the dough comes together. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
- Roll Out Dough: Turn the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper, place another sheet on top, and roll out the dough evenly to about 1/8 inch thickness using a rolling pin.
- Chill Dough: Transfer the rolled dough with parchment to a cookie sheet and refrigerate for 20 minutes until firm enough to cut.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut Cookies: Using Linzer cookie cutters, cut half of the cookies plain and the other half with a heart-shaped cut-out center. Place cookies on the prepared baking sheet.
- Freeze and Bake: Freeze the cut cookies on the baking sheet for 3 to 5 minutes to help them retain their shape, then bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, watching closely to prevent browning at the edges.
- Cool Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before assembling.
- Assemble Cookies: Dust the cookies with the heart cut-outs generously with powdered sugar. Spread jam on the flat side of the plain cookies, then sandwich together with the powdered sugar-topped side on top.
- Store: Store the assembled cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week to maintain freshness and texture.
Notes
- For best results, use fresh unsalted butter at room temperature to achieve proper creaming.
- You can substitute raspberry jam with strawberry or apricot jam depending on preference.
- Chilling the dough and freezing the cut cookies before baking helps preserve the cookies’ shape and even baking.
- Do not overbake; cookies should not brown to maintain their softness.
- Use powdered sugar just before serving to keep cookies looking fresh and preventing sugar from melting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 75mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 23g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
