Linzer Cookies

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These Linzer cookies are soft, buttery, slightly nutty, and the perfect base for any filling! Enjoy them with cherry jam, lemon curd, matcha ganache, or chocolate ganache!

Prep Time30

Cook Time13

Freeze time15

Total Time58

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 1.75-inch sandwich cookies

Calories: 188kcal

Author: Bianca Fernandez

Equipment

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup almond flour
½ tablespoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Wet Ingredients:

½ cup unsalted butter softened
½ cup powdered sugar
1 egg yolk room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract or paste; OR ¼ teaspoon almond extract

Decoration and Filling:

powdered sugar for dusting, optional
¼ cup filling chocolate ganache, matcha ganache, strawberry ganache, cherry jam, lemon curd, etc.

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Instructions

For the linzer dough:

In a medium bowl, stir together all of the dry ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ tablespoon cornstarch, ⅓ cup almond flour, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional).
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the softened ½ cup unsalted butter and ½ cup powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
Mix in 1 tablespoon vanilla and 1 egg yolk until smooth.
Dump in all of the dry ingredients. Fold using silicone spatula until no dry spots remains.

Roll out dough:

Now, you will make a "parchment stack". The bottom layer will be a large piece of parchment paper, the cookie dough in the middle, then parchment paper on top. This will make rolling out the dough much easier + mess free.
Lay large piece of parchment paper down on work surface. Plop on all of the cookie dough, then lay another piece of parchment on top of it. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a large rectangle, until dough is about ¼-inch thick.
Transfer parchment stack to a baking tray and freeze for about 15 minutes. This will make cutting out shapes easier.

Cut out & bake cookies:

Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
This step will help loosen the cookie dough from the parchment paper layers. So when you cut out dough pieces, the dough doesn't stick to the paper and is easier to transfer to your lined baking tray.
Peel off top parchment paper, then lightly stick it back on. Flip the entire parchment-cookie dough-parchment stack over so you can completely peel off the bottom parchment paper.
Using linzer cookie cutters, cut out your desired shapes.
For each sandwich cookie, cut out one cookie with the center punched out (this will be the top) and leave one cookie whole (this will be the bottom). If you don’t have Linzer cutters, use any cookie cutter and a piping tip to punch out the centers.
Transfer cookies to baking sheets, about 2-3 inches apart. The cookies will not spread much while baking.
Tip: Lightly flour your cookie cutter to minimize any sticking. When transferring cut-out cookies to your lined baking sheet, you can slide an offset spatula underneath the cookie to easily pick it up. If the dough is getting too soft, pop it back in the fridge or even the freezer for a few minutes.
Knead together any dough scraps, roll out, and cut out more cookies.
Tip: The colder the cut-out cookies, the more they'll hold their shape when baking! Feel free to freeze your cut-out shapes for 10 minutes before popping them in the oven.
Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until edges are set and very lightly golden. Let cool on pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to fully cool.

Decorate and sandwich cookies:

Optionally dust powdered sugar on top of the cookies with the cutout centers.
On the cookies without holes, spread or pipe filling. Sandwich with the other cookie half, and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Nutrition facts only include linzer tart cookies without any filling!

Storage:

Room temperature: Store either unfilled or filled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If using more perishable fillings, like lemon curd or a cream-cheese based filling, keep it in the fridge.

Freezing instructions:
- If you’d like to freeze the raw dough, you can actually freeze the entire parchment stack on a baking tray for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake, pull the parchment stack from the freezer, cut out shapes, and bake as usual. You may need to add 2-3 minutes to the baking time. This is a method I used to do as a pastry cook when I made batches of cut-out cookie dough at a time.
- If you'd like to freeze raw cut-out cookies, arrange them in a single layer on a lined baking sheet and freeze or 30 minutes to 1 hour. Once frozen, place them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. Bake from frozen, adding 2-3 minutes to the baking time. Freeze cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let thaw in container at room temperature.
- If freezing already baked and filled cookies, keep an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let thaw in container at room temperature.

Nutrition