Linzer Cookies are one of Christmas cookie season’s most beautiful
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Linzer cookies will never get old for me: this buttery cutout cookie fancied up with hazelnuts, and some warm spices then filled with raspberry jam is equal parts simple and elegant.
Eagle eyed readers might have noticed that Linzers are the symbol of Baking With Tradition. When I was trying to think of one baked good that epitomizes everything I love about baking, it didn’t take me long to land on a Linzer. They’re both traditional, a cookie, and such a beautiful way to celebrate Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or just make up for a memorable tea party.
Shoot, I love this cookie so much, that I’ve sewn up felt versions of them with my sewing students for years. It’s always one of their favorite projects of the year, especially since there are sequins involved!
The best part about Linzer cookies is that you can make them up ahead of time in relatively short order. Add the jam when you’re ready to serve, and you’ll have a crisp cookie that’s just screaming for a cup of Earl Grey or chamomile. If you like them soft, let the cookies sit filled for a day or two. You choose!
So grab some hazelnuts and let’s make this Austrian classic cookie.
Linzer Cookies
What is a Linzer cookie?
Linzers hail from Austria, named after the city of Linz. They are called Linzer Plätzchen in German.
These cookies are made from a shortbread, often with ground nuts like hazelnuts or almonds and little hints of lemon and spice. You them make sandwiches of the cookies, cutting out a small window in the top cookie.
The two cookies are filled with jam, usually raspberry (but anything goes here) so that you can see the jam peeking through the window in the top cookie.
The cookies are related to the bigger Linzer tarts (Linzertorte), which is a jam filled pie with the same shortbread crust topped with a lattice of the same dough.
Why you’ll love Linzer cookies
- So many good flavors: the lemon and hint of spices compliment the fruity raspberry flavors perfectly. There’s not so much spice that you’ll be able to pick it out but just enough to support raspberry’s main character flavor.
- Texture: the hazelnuts add a little bit of toothiness that keeps these cookies from being boring.
- Pretty without being fussy: I’m all about cookies that are beautiful without putting forth a lot of effort. The small detail of the window that shows off the beauty of the jam is both easy and effortlessly elegant.
Ingredients for Linzer Cookies
- Hazelnuts
- Butter
- Powdered sugar
- Lemon sugar (optional, or use lemon zest)
- Egg yolk
- Vanilla paste or vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground cloves
- Salt
- Raspberry Jam
Stuff you need to make Linzer Cookies
- Rolling pin: As my usual advice, use what is solid and comfortable in your hands.
- Parchment paper: I always roll cut-out cookies between parchment. It’s my #1 secret to getting perfect cutout cookies every time.
- Cookie cutters: A 2 and 1/2″ cutter for the cookies is a good place to start. I used my scalloped round cutters, but plain round cutters, squares, rectangles, or really anything is good. You’ll also need a small cutter for the center of a cookie. I have micro cutters for canape sandwiches, but the bottom of a piping tip will work great too. You just need something that you can cut away dough to then reveal the jam underneath. I would not recommend the dedicated Linzer cookie cutters. In theory these Linzer cutters cut the outside and inside in one go with discs so that you can change the shape of the inside cutter. I’ve personally not had good luck with these style of cutters, finding that they break apart easily and are fussy to use.
Easy ways to change up Linzers
- Change your jam: You can use whatever you have on hand, or try plum jam, blueberry jam, homemade Nutella, cranberry curd, maple pear butter, apple butter, or even caramel sauce.
- Swap out your cookie cutters: It’s pretty common to make Linzers into hearts (Linzer Herzen), but really you could use just about any shape as long as you have a smaller cutter to cut out a window. Who am I to tell you that a T-rex with a tiny fish cut out of the middle is wrong? Get creative!
- Use different nuts: almonds are just as delicious as hazelnuts. Beyond that, use walnuts and pecans are also tasty. You can also skip the nuts entirely. I often make these cookies without the nuts for those who can’t eat nuts.
Classic Linzer Cookies
- Total Time: 1 hour 12 minutes
- Yield: 18 sandwich cookies 1x
Description
Linzer cookies are some of the best jam-filled cookies around. With a little bit of spice, a hint of lemon, and the earthy goodness of hazelnuts, the raspberry jam filling ties everything together into a sandwich cookie that’s as beautiful as it is delightful.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup whole hazelnuts (71 g)
- 1 stick butter (113 g), at room temperature
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar (40 g)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon sugar (optional)
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (130 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup raspberry jam (homemade raspberry jam or good jarred jam)
Instructions
Make the dough
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Spread out the hazelnuts on a sheet tray and then toast the nuts for 8 minutes just until you begin to smell them. Set the nuts aside to cool.
- Beat the butter, powdered sugar and lemon sugar (if using) with a mixer until smooth.
- Add in the egg yolk and vanilla and beat until smooth.
- Grind the cooled nuts in a food processor.
- Mix the nuts with the flour, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.
- Add the flour to the butter mixture and mix just until the flour disappears and the dough comes together.
- Gather the dough together in the middle of a piece of plastic. Press on the dough to make a small compact disc.
Rolling the cookies
- Divide the dough in half.
- Sprinkle one sheet of parchment paper with flour. Place half of the dough on top of the floured parchment, sprinkling the dough with a little more flour.
Place a second piece of parchment over the dough. - Slide the parchment sandwich down to the edge of the counter, anchoring the edge of the paper with your hip. Roll the dough between the parchment until it is 1/8” thick.
- Repeat with two more pieces of parchment and the second half of the dough. Slide the rolled out dough onto a sheet tray and chill in the freezer until the parchment peels away easily from the dough. This will take about 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, pull out one of the dough packages from the freezer.
- Peel off the top piece of parchment and use it to line a sheet tray for baking the cookies. Use a 2 and 1/2″ round cutter to cut rounds of dough as close together as possible with a round cutter or a glass. Place the rounds onto parchment lined sheets leaving about 1” of space around each cookie.
- Cut out the middle of every other cookie round with a smaller cookie cutter like a heart, star, flower, etc. If you don’t have any small cookie cutters,use what you have. The bottom of a cake decorating tip can make a good sized hole. Cut the second half of the dough the same way. You should be able to bake two sheets of cookies at the same time.
- Bake the cookies for 7-8 minutes rotating the sheet trays 180 degrees around and switching them from top to bottom (or bottom to top) halfway through baking.
- Reroll your dough scraps, chilling the dough as necessary so that you can easily peel the cut cookies off the parchment. You can also bake the centers of the cookies if you don’t want to reroll as many cookies.
Finishing the cookies
- To finish the cookies, scoop the jam into a small bowl. Stir the jam vigorously for a few seconds to loosen the jam. If the jam feels too thick and hard to spread, microwave it for a few seconds.
- Spread the bottom of each cookie with about a teaspoon of jam. Top the jam with the cookie tops (the ones with the middles cut out of them). If you’d like, sprinkle them with a little powdered sugar for an extra festive touch.
- Without the filling, Linzers will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week. Do not fill them until you’re ready to serve them as the jam will soften the cookies. Filled cookies should be eaten within a day or two.
Notes
Cookie cutter shape for different seasons: Have fun with the cookie cutters that you use here. Round Linzers are traditional, but hearts are also a favorite, especially for Valentine’s Day. You can also use square cutters or stars.
Switch up your jam: Raspberry is especially delicious, but homemade strawberry jam will make for a really special Linzer as well. Any jam will make a great cookie!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 32 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Austrian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 131
- Sugar: 7.5 g
- Sodium: 12.3 mg
- Fat: 7.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 15.2 g
- Protein: 1.4 g
- Cholesterol: 23.7 mg
