If you love trying new Christmas cookies from around the world, be sure to check out my Cinnamon Walnut Raisin Rugelach, Greek Baklava, and Italian Pizzelles! I’m going to admit that I was skeptical about making this linzer cookie recipe at home. Linzer cookies seemed like one of those cookies that look pretty but involve more trouble than they’re worth and the end result is just so-so. But I couldn’t have been more wrong! These Linzer cookies may just be one of my new Christmas favorites. I’m seriously obsessed! And I’m going to have to make again at Valentine’s Day using heart-shaped cookie cutters. Other classic Linzer shapes are circles, flowers, stars, and hearts, but you could really make these with any cookie cutters as long as you have a large and small size. I think they would be cute as trees or gingerbread men.
What is a linzer cookie?
Linzer cookies were created in the town of Linz, Austria, which was already famous for another dessert that inspired these cookies – the Linzer torte. The classic Linzer cookie is filled with black currant preserves, although those are hard to find in the U.S., so raspberry preserves have become more commonplace here. But I couldn’t resist swapping in a jar of lingonberry jam (affiliate link) that I had from when we had Swedish meatballs the other night, and it was wonderful! We tried some with raspberry and strawberry preserves, but we all definitely agreed that the lingonberry jam (affiliate link) version was our favorite. So the next time you are at Ikea, pick up an extra jar and make these cookies with it! You don’t just have to fill linzer cookies with raspberry or lingonberry jam (affiliate link) though. Lemon curd, nutella, cherry preserves, or other fillings would all be delicious in the crunchy cookies. Linzer cookies can be made with either hazelnuts or almonds. I happened to have a massive supply of hazelnuts in my freezer and needed my almonds for making english toffee, so that decided it for me. The hazelnuts were absolutely delicious and gave these cookies a wonderful flavor, but I’m sure almonds are equally delicious.
How to Make Linzer Cookies
- To make linzer cookies, start by pulsing hazelnuts or almonds with a little sugar in a food processor (affiliate link) until finely chopped. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light. Then beat in egg yolks, vanilla, and the zest of one lemon.
- Whisk the flour and ground nuts together and gradually add to the butter and sugar mixture. Beat until the dough comes together when you squeeze it, then shape it into 4 balls, flatten into discs, and wrap each disc in plastic wrap.
- Chill the dough for 1 hour.
- Roll out the dough, one disc at a time, on a lightly floured surface until it is about 1/4-inch to 1/6-inch thick. I love this rolling pin (affiliate link) because it has measurement guides that help me know when the dough is thin enough and gives consistent results! I tend to go with the thinner 1/6-inch because I like the crunchier cookie and ratio of dough to jam it gives.
- Cut out shapes using a large cookie cutter, then transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and cut out smaller shapes in half of the cookies to create windows in the top cookies. I have these star cookie cutters (affiliate link), but you can use any shape as long as you have one large and one small.
- Bake for about 10-12 minutes until golden around the edges, then cool completely on a wire rack.
- To assemble the cookies, first dust the top “window” cookies with powdered sugar. Then spread a little fruit preserves or other filling on each bottom cookie before topping with one of the top cookies. You can even spoon a little more filling in the opening, if you want to.
Storing and Freezing Linzer Cookies
If you keep these cookies in an airtight container, they will last for several days at room temperature and up to a week in the refrigerator. However, the crunchy cookies will absorb some of the moisture from the filling after a day or so. They will still taste fantastic and have an element of crunch from the nuts, but they won’t be quite the same as when these are freshly made. You can freeze linzer cookies on a baking sheet in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer-safe container in layers with wax paper between them. Thaw on the counter until ready to serve. These also won’t be as crunchy, and the powdered sugar dusting will be mostly absorbed into the cookie, but they still taste pretty darn wonderful!
More Cookie Recipes
Perfect Peanut Butter Blossoms Best Cut-Out Sugar Cookies Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Mexican Wedding Cookies [aka Russian Tea Cakes] Chocolate Andes Mint Cookies Easy Jam Thumbprint Cookies The BEST Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies Double Lemon Glazed Cookies Lime Meltaway Shortbread Cookies Homemade Iced Oatmeal Cookies Soft & Chewy Molasses Cookies
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