When it comes to Christmas cookies, here’s one type we can’t resist: Linzer cookies! This classic Austrian sandwich cookie stars buttery almond shortbread with fun cutout window to show a layer of fruity preserves, making a treat that’s nuanced and just sweet enough. This recipe spells childhood nostalgia for us, and here we’re sharing a traditional recipe for this classic cookie!
Ingredients in linzer cookies
Linzer cookies are a shortbread jam-filled sandwich cookie based on the Austrian dessert Linzer torte, a tart made with ground nuts and fruit preserves. Linzer cookies bring in those signature flavors by making a shortbread with both all-purpose flour and almond flour, which gives it a complex, nutty flavor. The traditional shape features cut-out windows where the jam shows through. This recipe comes from my dear Austrian friend Milena’s mother: Milena currently lives in Vienna, but we grew up together in Minnesota eating Linzer cookies at the holidays. This recipe has the nostalgia of childhood all over it for us, and it’s perfect for the holidays, Valentine’s Day, or any time you need a sweet treat. Here’s what you’ll need for classic Linzer cookies:
Flour Almond flour Cinnamon Fine sea salt Unsalted butter Granulated sugar Egg Vanilla extract Raspberry jam or other fruit preserves Powdered sugar
Tip: use almond flour, not almond meal!
Avoid using almond meal for Linzer cookies: look for almond flour when you are shopping. You should be able to find it at your local grocery, depending on your location.
Almond flour is made from blanched almonds, or almonds with their skins removed. It’s ground very finely, resulting in a fluffy texture in baked goods. Almond meal contains the skins, making it darker brown in color instead of off-white like almond flour. It has a coarser grind than almond flour and results in denser, chewy texture in baked goods.
Linzer cookie cutter and an alternative
Linzer cookies are a cutout cookie with a twist! Instead of cutting out just one cookie, you’ll need two: a cookie with a window and a solid cookie. There are special cookie cutters just for this purpose, but you can also use a alternative based on what you have at home.
Option 1: Use a Linzer cookie cutter. We like this Linzer cookie cutter. It comes with various cutout window shapes: hearts, stars, flowers, etc. It is worth buying if you plan to make Linzer cookies multiple times! Option 2: Use a 2-inch circular cutter and a smaller shape for the window. If you happen to have both of these shapes on hand, it’s easy to make your own version of cutout cookies!
Tips for making the cookies
Linzer cookies are a fun baking project that results in visually-stunning, sugar dusted cookies with bright shapes of jam. There are a few notes for how to put together this recipe:
Chill the dough 1 to 3 hours. This is important with a cutout cookie dough: you’ll want it nice and cold to get uniform shapes. Gently roll the dough slightly less than 1/4-inch thick. This makes just the right thickness for the finished cookie. Simple cutout window shapes (like circles and hearts) are easier to cut out. The stars were a little trickier to cut, and they became more distorted when baked. But, they still turned out great.
Linzer cookie storage info
Once you’ve made your linzer cookies, you probably won’t be eating all 30 at once. How to store them? Here are some tips and notes about storage:
The cookies taste crisp the first day, then soft after storage. They’re delicious both ways, but we like the soft version best! Store in a container with a few layers of parchment paper or foil between each. The powdered sugar on the bottom layer of cookies after a few days, so it’s good to protect between each layer. Store at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerated up to 2 weeks. With room temperature storage, the powdered sugar can start to melt on the cookies that are stacked in layers beneath other cookies. We recommend storing them refrigerated for longer term storage. Or, freeze for up to 3 months. The powdered sugar topping is a little fragile, so keep in mind the cookies look best when they are fresh.
More cookie recipes
Love a good batch of cookies? Here are a few more fun cookie recipes to enjoy:
Mix up classic Peanut Butter Balls Try our favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars or Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Go for Hot Chocolate Cookies or Ginger Molasses Cookies Opt for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Grab Almond Thumbprint Cookies, with similar flavors!
This Linzer cookies recipe is…
Vegetarian. 5 from 2 reviews
