These Linzer Tart Cookies are a timeless holiday cookie, with a delicate, buttery almond based cookie filled with jam, and sandwiched together, and dusted with powdered sugar. The cookies are beautiful, and so delicious.
Linzer cookies or Linzer Augen (Linzer Eyes) are a twist on the Austrian classic dessert Linzertorte which is a traditional Austrian pastry with a shortbread bottom, fruit preserve middle and lattice design on top. The cookies are like a sandwich cookie version with a whole cookie on bottom, and a cookie with a cut out “eye” on top, filled traditionally with red currant preserves, but in the US, we often like filling them with raspberry jam, or any jam of your choice, or even chocolate hazelnut spread, as you can see pictured.
These Linzer Tart Cookies are a must try for the Christmas season, but their also delicious for Valentine’s Day, or any time of the year. They’re beautiful cookies that are perfect for enjoying at home, or gifting to your friends and family.
I was super intimidated to make these cookies for years, but they are so much easier than they look, and the results are so worth it! They’re going to be on repeat over here, all year long!
Why make these cookies
- Beautiful Appearance – The cookies are stunning, with their cut out details, red jam peaking through, and dusting of powdered sugar on top.
- Perfect for Gifting – These cookies are a great addition to any holiday cookie tray, or cookie exchange parties. They’re easily stacked in a package, and will impress anyone you share them with!
- Delicious Flavor – The combination of the buttery, and nutty shortbread cookie paired with the sweet jam in the middle is a combo everyone will love. My kids are extra partial to the cookies filled with Nutella.
Ingredients Needed
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Linzer Cookie Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below. I like to make both versions of the cookies to have a variety of color, so this recipe list includes both, you can of course, make just one version.
- Unsalted Butter
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract
- All purpose flour
- Almond flour – You can make your own almond flour by grinding up whole almonds in a food processor
- Salt –
- Raspberry Jam or Chocolate Hazelnut Spread – or other filling you pick
- Powdered Sugar – To dust the tops of the cookies, this makes them extra pretty and sweetens them a little more.
Substitutions and Variations
- Lemon Zest – Add 1 teaspoon of lemon zest for a fresh lemon flavor
- Seasonings – Add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, or ground nutmeg to the dry ingredients if desired.
- Different Nuts – Instead of almond flour you can grind up different nuts to make a different flour. Try pecans, or walnuts, instead.
- Filling Options – Any spread or jam will work, strawberry jam, lingonberry jam, apricot jam, lemon curd, etc.
How to make Linzer Cookie Recipe
Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugar. In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and granulated sugar for a couple minutes, until light and fluffy. Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract and stir until combined.
Step 2: Add the dry ingredients. In another bowl, stir the flour, almond flour, and salt together. Add them slowly into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. The dough will be a bit soft, so we need to chill it. Divide it into two even portions, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Step 3: Cut out the cookies. Roll out one portion of the dough on a lightly floured surface to be about 1/4inch thick. Cut the cookies into 2-3 inch cookies, with cookie cutters, or a Linzer cookie cutter. Cut them without cutting out the centers. Place the cookies onto a lined baking sheet. Chill the cookie sheet in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat with the other dough section and cut out the other half the dough the centers cut out. Re chill the remaining dough, then re-roll while you bake 1 tray of cookies at a time.
Step 4: Bake the cookies. Bake the cookies until they are set on top, and lightly golden around the edges. Keep a close eye on the cookies the last couple of minutes, because different sizes of cookies will need different time in the oven. Let the cookies cool for several minutes on the baking tray, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Step 5: Assemble the Cookie Sandwiches. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the top cookies (the ones with cut outs on top). Take one solid cookie and add a dollop of jam or other filling on top, and spread lightly around the cookie, but not all the way to the edges. Take a top cookie and gently press them together to make a cute Linzer cookie sandwich.
Tips and Tricks
- Chill the Dough – This is a soft cookie dough, and it needs to be chilled before baking the cookies to prevent them from spreading in the oven. We want them to keep their windows and cute laced edges.
- Roll the Dough out Evenly – Roll the dough evenly to ensure the cookies bake up evenly. A rolling pin with rings on the sides can help ensure your dough is even and the thickness you want.
- Re-roll the Scraps – You will likely need to re-chill the dough before re rolling the scraps. I usually chill it while the first tray is chilling and baking, then you can re-roll and cut out more cookies.
Storage Instructions
The cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week. They can also be frozen in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw the cookies at room temperature, then enjoy!
These Linzer Tart Cookies are a classic, and elegant cookie that are perfect for the holidays, or to make all year. With their delicate, buttery cookie, paired with the sweet jam filling these are a cookie made to impress!
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
If you try these Linzer Tart Cookies, please leave a 🌟 rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Linzer Tart Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup jam (or other filling)
Instructions
- Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer and cream together on medium speed for 2 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy. 1 cup unsalted butter, 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- Add the egg, and vanilla, and almond extract to the mix and stir until combined. 1 large egg, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp almond extract
- In another bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, and salt. 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 cup almond flour, 1/2 tsp salt
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and slowly mix them together until combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
- Separate the dough into two equal sized portions and form them each into a disk, about 1 inch thick. Cover in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet or two with parchment paper, or silicone liners.
- Take one section of dough out, and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to be 1/4 inch thick.
- Use round cookie cutters, or fluted cookie cutters to cut out cookies about 2 to 3 inches in size. (A linzer specific cookie cutter works great for this).
- Place them on the cookie sheet, 1 inch apart from each other.
- Place the whole pan in the fridge and chill for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Squish the remaining dough back into a disk, and place it in the fridge to chill.
- Repeat by rolling out the second disk of dough, and cutting them into the same size cookies, and cutting out the centers with a smaller cookie cutter. Place them on a pan, and chill the same as the first.
- When ready to bake, bake one tray of cookies at a time for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies are set, and the edges are lightly golden.
- Remove the tray from the oven and let the cookies cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Dust the top cookies, the ones with the centers cut out with powdered sugar.
- Add a dollop of jam to one of the bottom cookies, spreading it out slightly, but not all the way to the edges.
- Sandwich a top and bottom cookie together.
- Repeat with additional dough, and jam, making as many cookies as you can.
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