Description
These Linzer Cookies are super pretty, but also super easy to make - much easier than they look, I promise! They have a buttery almond shortbread, and you can fill them with whatever you like. Linzer cookies are the perfect holiday cookie addition to your lineup!
Ingredients
Scale
- 180g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 65g powdered sugar (icing sugar), sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 225g all-purpose flour
- 90g almond flour / almond meal
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- Powdered Sugar to dust
- Jam or Curd of your choice for filling
Instructions
- Place the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Whip on high speed with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy. This can also be done in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Add the flour, almond flour, and salt, and mix until just combined.
- Turn the dough out onto a large piece of parchment paper (I use pre-cut half sheet pan sized parchment paper). If needed, use the piece of parchment paper to bring together the dough into a rectangle.
- Top with a second piece of parchment paper. Roll out to about 6mm (0.25") in thickness.
- Transfer the dough, still between the two pieces of parchment paper, to a sheet pan. Chill in the fridge for at least two hours to allow the dough to chill and firm up, and up to three days ahead.
- When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 325°f / 160°c. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Transfer the cookie dough still between the parchment paper into the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up.
- Remove the top sheet of parchment paper from the cookie dough. Using a round 2" (5cm) fluted cutter, cut out as many circles of dough as you can and transfer to the lined baking sheet. Press scraps together and re-roll them then re-freeze the dough and cut out more cookies.
- Using a small shaped cutter of your choice, cut shapes from the middle of half of the cookies.
- Freeze the cut out cookies for 10 minutes before baking - they can be frozen for longer here if you are making them ahead. If you need to you can group them closer together on the pan to freeze them then space out more evenly on the tray before baking.
- Bake the cookies one tray at a time for 11-12 minutes, until set and lightly golden around the edges. If you have rolled them thicker or thinner, they may take more or less time.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool on the pan until cooled completely. Repeat the baking process with the other tray.
- To assemble the cookies, dust powdered sugar over the 'tops' of the cookies (with the cut-outs). Add jam or filling of your choice to the bottom halves, spreading to just before the edges to allow for some squishing out when you press them together. Have the 'good' side of the cookie facing out (add the filling to the side that was against the cookie sheet)
- Carefully top each bottom cookie with a top cookie, and sandwich together gently.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature - they are best eaten within the first few days of making them, but you can store the cookies and filling separately and assemble as needed.
Notes
If you have salted butter that is fine - use it and just omit the salt in the recipe.
If you want to make the cookies ahead of time, you can store the unfilled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.