Now, to my question: I’m making about ten Valentine cookie boxes to surprise friends this year, so I’m not sure when the cookies will actually be eaten. I’ll be giving them to my friends on Sunday, two days before Valentine’s Day, at church. I would much rather the cookies not get soggy, of course, before they’re eaten. Is the comment from Dianne, to try painting the cookies with a thin layer of chocolate, in response to the previous question of how to prevent sogginess with a jam filling? I love the taste of jam in a linzer cookie, but I absolutely fell in love with the look of the bright white, pink, red and purple icing filling in your recipe. Do you think the thin layer of chocolate would prevent the cookies getting soggy? I’m also concerned that the thin layer of chocolate might make it hard for the icing to set up enough to keep the cookies together.

Also, I’ll be making an assortment of cookies to pack in my Valentine’s boxes. (Sorry, there goes Martha again!) Do you think that putting one of your 6″ parchment squares between each kind will be sufficient to keep the flavors separated?

Thanks for any help you can give! Now, it’s time to get baking!!!

This sounds like a great project! Yes, all of this is going to be an experiment as you modify the cookies for a “longer/prettier” shelf life. If the chocolate layer is of concern, you could also try brushing the lower cookie with an apricot glaze and letting it set, before topping with jam. For maximum protection, you’ll want to reduce the lateral motion of the cookies within the box. Pack the cookies in muffin papers, like a box of chocolates. A single layer of paper separating the layers should be sufficient. Good luck with your project. Frank @ KAF.

I’d say yes, the cookies are basically the same, Joy. Go for it – make hubby happy! PJH

I’d welcome any suggestions – thank you!
“Hello, so sorry that your linzers are not coming out they way you would like. It is possible that you are rolling the dough a bit too thick. One thing that may also be contributing to this is that your dough may have been mixed for too long on too high a speed after the eggs were added. If air is incorporated into a dough or batter with the eggs, it will cause the product to rise in the oven. These cookies should not rise much at all, and should be crispy. Be sure to incorporate your eggs on a lower speed and see if this remedies your problem. Happy baking! -Amy“

You could also fill them just before you’re going to serve; since filling/sandwiching takes no time at all. PJH