Linzer Cookies: a classic Christmas cookie recipe that will make any Christmas cookie tray complete. Almond and cinnamon-infused butter cookies perfectly complement the tart raspberry jam filling, creating a true holiday treat!
½cupraspberry jam or strawberry jamstrained (120mL)
Powdered sugarto garnish
Instructions
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, cinnamon, and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium- speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating until just combined, scraping the bowl after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture until combined. Divide the dough in half, and shape each into a disc. Wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Let the dough stand at room temperature for about 5 minutes or until slightly softened. On a lightly floured surface, roll one disc at a time to ¼-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut out the cookies, rerolling scraps as needed. You should have about 36 cookies. Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
Using a ½ to ¾-inch round, diamond, or star cutter, punch out the center of half of the cookies (about 18). Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown. Let cool on pan, 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Turn the whole cookies flat side up and place about ½ teaspoon of jam in the center. Dust the cookies with holes with powdered sugar. Place the sugared cookies on top of jam, pressing gently to create a cookie sandwich. Store cookies flat in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
Carefully measure the flour. Weigh the flour on a food scale to ensure that the cookies have a light and soft texture. If you don’t have a food scale, you can also spoon the flour into the measuring cups before leveling off with a knife to prevent overpacking.
Don’t over-flour the counter when rolling out the dough. You want just enough to keep the dough from sticking to it. Any more, and you risk adding too much flour to the dough, resulting in dry and crumbly cookies.
Reduce the amount of jam for seedless. If you are using seedless raspberry jam, you will only need 6 tablespoons of it.
Flavor the cookies. For a bright citrus note, beat 1 teaspoon of lemon zest or orange zest in with the butter and sugar mixture. Add 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract with the vanilla for a nuttier flavor profile. You can even add other spices like cardamom or ginger with the cinnamon.
Optional: cookie-cutter variations. Use plain cookie cutters or biscuit cutters for a classic appearance or a scalloped cutter for a little flourish. Change the shape of the cut-out by using a star, diamond, Christmas tree, or heart-shaped small cutter instead of a round one.
Optional: switch up the jam. Add some variety to your cookie platter by changing the jam you fill the cookies with. Tart jams such as apricot, cherry, or blackberry are all great pics, or you can also fill these cookies with lemon curd!