Description

These Linzer Cookies are as delicious as they are pretty! Tender vanilla-almond cookies paired with a fruity jam filling, you’ll be making these again and again. Perfect for Christmas or any time of year!

Ingredients

Scale

226 gm (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
120 gm (1 cup) powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract (can omit and use 1 additional teaspoon vanilla extract)
250 gm (2 cups, spoon and leveled) all-purpose flour
96 gm (1 cup, spoon and leveled) almond flour
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Jam of choice for filling (I used raspberry and apricot)
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Make the dough. Add the butter, powdered sugar and orange zest to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (alternatively you can use an electric hand mixer). Mix on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl halfway through and again at the end. Add in the egg and mix to combine. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts.
Sift the all-purpose flour and almond flour together into a large bowl. Add the kosher salt and cinnamon and whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the batter in 2 separate additions, mixing on low speed after each addition until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Turn half of the cookie dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Using lightly floured hands, shape the dough into a disc, about 1/2″ thick, then wrap tightly in the plastic wrap. Repeat with the remaining half of the dough.
Chill the dough. Place the discs in the fridge to chill for at least 3 hours, up to 3 days (NOTE: for chill times longer than 3 hours, place the wrapped discs in a zip-top bag to keep them from drying out). For freezing instructions, refer to my recipe notes below*.
Roll and cut the dough into shapes. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Working with one disc at a time, place one portion of chilled dough on a clean, floured work surface. Lightly flour the top of the dough and your rolling pin. Roll the dough into a 1/4″ thickness, re-flouring the surface and/or dough as needed to prevent sticking. Use 2-inch round cookie cutter** to cut the dough into shapes, gathering and re-rolling the scraps until you’ve used up all of the dough (TIP: if the dough begins to get too sticky, press it into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up). Place cutouts on the prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 to 2-inches apart.
Cut out centers. Using a small cookie cutter or piping tip, cut out the centers of one half of the cookies. These will be the top cookies with the decorative “window” (TIP: For extra clean cuts, chill the cookies for a few minutes before cutting out the centers).
Chill the cookies. Place all cookies, tops and bottoms, in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes (NOTE: If you can’t fit baking sheets in the fridge, place the cutouts on a plate and return them to the baking sheet when you’re ready to bake!). Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and the cookies appear dry, rotating the pans halfway through bake time. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once the cookies have cooled, dust the top cookies (the ones with the decorative windows cut out) with powdered sugar. Spoon a teaspoon or so of jam onto the underside of the remaining cookies, then top with the sugar dusted cookies to create a sandwich.

Notes

*Make ahead/ freezing instructions: Cookie dough may be stored wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a zip-top bag for up to 3 days. To freeze discs of dough, wrap the dough in a layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil, and store in a freezer-safe zip-top bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, remove foil and leave in fridge overnight. To freeze dough cutouts, place the cutouts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place in the freezer until the dough is frozen solid. Place frozen cutouts in a freezer-safe zip-top bag for up to 3 months and bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to your bake time.

**Cookie cutters: These Linzer cookie cutters really come in handy for this recipe. It comes with the traditional 2-inch round cutter, with a scalloped and straight edge, as well as a variety of mini shape cutters for the window cutouts. They come in Christmas patterns too! If you don’t have Linzer cookie cutters, use a 2-inch round cutter and a piping tip for the window cutouts!

Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. Separate layers of cookies with parchment or wax paper, if desired.