Linzer Cookies
As an Amazon Affilate, I earn commission on qualifying purchases.
Linzer cookies are a twist on the classic Austrian dessert, linzer torte. These little sandwich cookies are filled with tangy raspberry jam and resemble linzer torte with little cut outs showing of their jammy insides.
Traditional linzer torte is made with a dough of ground hazelnuts and a filling of raspberry preserves baked with a lattice crust. I’ve seen quite a few linzer cookie recipes that completely omit the ground hazelnuts which to me, is a key ingredient to this unique cookie.
This recipe is from Bon Appetit, 1993. They a great addition to your baking for the holiday season, but they can also be made into hearts for Valentine’s Day, or cut into different shapes like circles, squares or flowers for any time of year. Pumpkin cookies with apricot jam would also be cute for Halloween!
Ingredients for this linzer cookie recipe
If you cannot find hazelnuts, substitute almonds. Omit the vanilla extract and add almond extract instead.
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon fine kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup hazelnuts, toasted
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- confectioners’ sugar
- 1 1/2 cups raspberry preserves or jam
How to make linzer cookies
- Combine flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl.
- Finely grind hazelnuts with 2/3 cup sugar in food processor.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer beat butter until light and fluffy.
- Add ground nuts and sugar mixture, beating to blend.
- Add whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and blend just until incorporated.
- With a rubber spatula, stir in flour mixture, scraping down sides of bowl.
- Divided dough into 4 equal portions. Flatten into disks and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll one dough disk out on a heavily work surface to about 1/8″ thick. These are sandwich cookies so they should be quite thin. I like this rolling pin.
- Using a cookie cutter that’s about 2″ to 3″ in diameter and cut out as many cookies as possible from the dough. Gather up the dough scraps and press into a smaller disk and place in the fridge to chill.
- Transfer cookies to an un-greased cookie sheet with parchment paper or silpat. Using a small pastry bag tip cut out holes on half of the cookies.
- Bake cookies on prepared cookie sheets until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer baked cookies to a wire rack to cool.
- Repeat with remaining dough and scraps.
- While cookies are baking and cooling, prepare the jam filling. Boil jam in a heavy small saucepan until thickened, stirring constantly, about 4 minutes.
- Dust the top half of the cookies with powdered sugar using a fine mesh sieve or this powdered sugar wand.
- Once cookies are cool, spread about 1 teaspoon on the bottom cookies, leaving a 1/4″ border.
- Match each cookie with a cut-out cookie top.
Can I substitute ground almonds?
While hazelnuts are traditional in linzer cookies, they’re not as easy to find as almonds. If you choose to use ground almonds, omit the vanilla for almond extract.
Can I use other jam flavors?
Raspberry jam or preserves are traditional, but any flavor of jam or lemon curd can be used as well.
Looking for more holiday cookie recipes?
These are not cookies, but make a nice addition to a holiday dessert tray.
Linzer Cookies
Ingredients
Linzer Dough
- 3 cups All-purpose flour (13.2 ounces)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup hazelnuts toasted (4.5 ounces)
- 2/3 cup sugar (4.7 ounces)
- 10 ounces unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Finishing the linzer cookies
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 13 ounces raspberry jam
Instructions
Making the linzer dough
- Combine flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl.
- Finely grind hazelnuts with 2/3 cup sugar in food processor.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer beat butter until light and fluffy.
- Add ground nuts and sugar mixture, beating to blend.
- Add whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and blend just until incorporated. With a rubber spatula, stir in flour mixture, scraping down sides of bowl.
- Divided dough into 4 equal portions. Flatten into disks and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. (The dough can be frozen for up to 2 months at this point)
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll one dough disk out on a heavily work surface to about 1/8″ thick. These are sandwich cookies so they should be quite thin.
- Using a cookie cutter that’s about 2″ to 3″ in diameter and cut out as many cookies as possible from the dough. Transfer cookies to an un-greased cookie sheet with parchment paper or silpat. Using a small pastry bag tip cut out holes on half of the cookies.
- Gather up the dough scraps and press into a smaller disk and place in the fridge to chill.
- Bake cookies on prepared cookie sheets until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer baked cookies to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough and scraps.
- While cookies are baking and cooling, prepare the jam filling. Boil jam in a heavy small saucepan until thickened, stirring constantly, about 4 minutes.
- Dust the top half of the cookies with powdered sugar using a fine mesh sieve or this powdered sugar wand.
- Once cookies are cool, spread about 1 teaspoon on the bottom cookies, leaving a 1/4″ border. Match each cookie with a cut-out cookie top.
- Cookies can be made up to 2 weeks in advance. Place cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper separating the layers.
