Linzer Cookie Recipe
Linzer cookies are a traditional Christmas cookie made from a crispy, buttery tart dough, dusted with powdered sugar and filled with a sweet cranberry jam.
Servings 30 cookies
Calories 133kcal
Equipment
- Linzer cookie cutter (or two cutters, one about 2" and one 1/2")
Ingredients
Linzer Cookies
- 6 ounces unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 ounces granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 ounce cake crumbs or cake flour
- 8 ounces cake flour cannot substitute with AP flour
- 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 ounces almond flour or hazelnut flour, a combination of both, or pistachio flour
Cranberry Filling
- 12 ounces cranberries
- 7 ounces sugar
- 8 ounces water
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest
- 3 Tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
Cranberry Jam
- I'm using homemade cranberry filling for my linzer tarts, but you can use any flavor that you want. Strawberry, raspberry and fig are some other great alternatives.
- Combine the cranberries, water, sugar, juice and zest into a medium stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a simmer.
- Let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes or until it has reduced and thickened. Let it coole before using. (use a blender to smooth out the filling once it's cool if you don't like chunky filling).
The Cookies
- Whisk together the flour, cake crumbds, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and almond flour in a bowl and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. About 2 minutes.
- Add in your room temperature egg and vanilla and mix until cohesive.
- While mixing on low, add your flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix until the dough comes together. Do not over mix.
- Divide dough in 2 flattened disks and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for two hours or overnight.
- Dust your rolling pin and your surface with flour to prevent sticking. Roll the dough out 1/8" thick with a rolling pin.
- Cut an even amount of solid cookies and cookies with a window with your Linzer cookie cutter. I got about 15 of each.
- Place all the backs on one sheet and all the fronts on another. The fronts will bake a little faster than the backs.
- Bake the backs at 325ºF for 10-12 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden brown. Bake the fronts for 9-11 minutes.
- Transfer your cookies to a cooling rack to fully cool down.
- Dust the fronts with some powdered sugar
- Pipe some cranberry filling around the edge of the back cookie (dont fill the center)
- Press the front cookie on gently, then pipe more cranberry filling into the center
- The filling will develop a skin after 24 hours.
Video
Notes
You can substitute cake crumbs for more almond flour, cake crumbs just add moisture to the cookie.
You can use any kind of nut flour including pistachio, cashew or hazelnut in place of almond flour
Blend your cranberry filling so it's smoother if you desire
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 133kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 43mg | Potassium: 38mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 161IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg