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!
Hi hi! I am just popping in to share this Linzer Cookie recipe with you! Sometimes called linzer tart cookies, these are a classic Austrian cookie made up of a nut-based shortbread, sandwiched with Jam or another filling - I filled with my easy silky lemon curd.
Linzers are a classic holiday cookie recipe, and so I knew I had to get my version on my site!
These are super simple to make, but 100% worth the effort - they are absolute showstoppers, and look so, so pretty, but aren't that much more complicated than a regular sugar cookie recipe.
I will walk you step-by-step through how to make these beauties, along with all my tips and tricks along the way. The recipe is super easy to scale - my recipe makes 14 sandwich cookies but is really easy to double.
These Linzer Cookies do contain nuts - if you would like a nut free version, there are instructions in my shortbread recipe to make them into roll-out cookies!
What Cookie Cutter did you use for Linzer cookies?
I have a linzer cookie cutter, but I have made these in the past with just a fluted cutter and a smaller shape for the middle. Have a play with what you have. My cutter is 2" / 5cm in diameter, which I find makes a nice sized cookie, but you can go larger or smaller if you like, you will just get a different yield and maybe have to adjust the baking time.
If you don't have a linzer cookie cutter or a fluted cutter you can use a regular round cutter and then just something simple to punch out the middle - I tried it with the end of a metal piping tip and it worked great. You could also just cut shapes with a sharp knife if you wanted to.
Cutting linzers does take a few wee tricks
Linzers are super easy to make, but I do have a few tips and tricks that make them easy to get nice and perfect, with a super sharp edge on the cookie which is important if you are cutting out the middle for the filling to show.
- Work with cold dough. This is the most important step - you want things to be nice and cold. Chill the dough between the parchment paper sheets for two hours (and up to 3 days), then transfer to the freezer. This makes it nice and easy to cut out the shapes.
- Keep it cold. If at any point when you are cutting out your cookies it starts to get hard to get a nice clean cut, just pop the leftover dough back into the freezer.
- Freeze before baking. You get it now right? Keep everything cold. Freezing the cut out cookies before baking means that they also don't spread too much and hold their shape nicely.
Keeping things nice and cold is the sneaky wee trick to make your linzers super detailed and pretty!
How do you roll out linzer dough evenly?
Whenever I make any sort of roll-out cookie, I always roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper before chilling.
This makes things super easy - the dough is very easy to get nice and even when you roll it out before it is chilled, and doing it between two pieces of parchment paper means that you don't have to worry about flouring the surface.
I use rolling pin guides when I am rolling out the dough which help to get it nice and even. If you don't have those, knitting needles or pieces of dowel the thickness you want the dough to be work well. I roll these cookies out to 6mm / 0.25" thickness which works well.
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Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Easier than they look Linzer Cookies (foolproof recipe)
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 14 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
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
- 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
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- Powdered Sugar to dust
- Jam or Curd of your choice for filling - I have a recipe for homemade lemon curd
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, or cut out the raw dough and store in in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. To bake from frozen just bake as written in the recipe.
Filling suggestions for Linzer Cookies
There are lots of different filling options for Linzer Cookies. Traditionally they are filled with jam (raspberry jam is my favourite but you do you here) but here are a few options (aware that not all of these are traditional but they are delicious):
Curd. Any kind of citrus curd would be delicious here - passionfruit, lemon, lime, etc. I used jarred lemon curd but they would also be delicious with a homemade lemon curd.
Jam. Use any jam or marmalade of your choice here.
Caramel. The actual cookie part of these Linzer cookies isn't too sweet, so you could use a sweet filling like a caramel or a dulce de leche.
Nutella. Or another similar hazelnut spread.
Chocolate Frosting. My Shitty chocolate icing aka brownie frosting would be cute, topped with sprinkles!
Comments
Caribou says
Keeping the dough chilled gave me perfect shapes. Thanks so much!
Ann says
I made these and they turned out so well!
Josephine Elizabeth LaBua says
I majorly goofed making these... got way to into my podcast and put the jam and tops on before baking. They are in the freezer now, do you think there's a way to salvage or are they a loss?
Thank you!
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! I know we already chatted about this one - scrape it off for the win 🙂
Craig says
Hi Erin! Love all your recipes (and it reminds me of home when I read recipes for treats I used to have growing up in NZ). How many days ahead could I make the dough, cut out the colors and freeze? Or is it better to bake them a few days ahead of an event vs freezing the dough and baking day of? Thanks!!
Erin Clarkson says
Hi, I have frozen the cut outs for up to a month ahead so it will be just fine! They bake great from frozen