Linzer Cookies

Nothing could be more festive on the holiday table than a tray of these, buttery, confectioners' sugar-dusted, jam-packed cookies, created by blogger Alexandra Stafford at Alexandra's Kitchen. The hint of lemon in the dough nicely complements any number of fillings, from raspberry jam to lemon curd.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- grated rind (zest) of 1 lemon, or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- raspberry jam for filling
- confectioners' sugar or glazing sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- To make the dough: Beat the butter, sugar, and zest until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed, about 3 minutes. Add the yolk and vanilla and beat until combined.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, almond flour, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix until just combined. Don't over-beat.
- Divide the dough in half, and pat each half into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
- To assemble: On a lightly floured surface, roll one disc of dough out about 1/4"-thick. Using a 2 1/2" round cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Transfer rounds to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gather the scrap dough, roll, and repeat. Place the cut cookies in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- While the first half of cookies is chilling, cut rounds from the remaining dough. Once you've transferred these cookies to a baking sheet, use your smallest cookie cutter or the end of a round piping tip to make a peekaboo cutout in the center of each. Place cookies in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill.
- To bake: Bake all of the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn brown. Let them cool for 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- To fill the cookies: Place the cookies with the holes in them on a cookie sheet and sift confectioners' sugar over the top. Turn the remaining cookies flat side up and spoon 1/2 teaspoon of jam into the center, spreading it slightly. Top with the sugar-dusted cookies.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 1 cookie, 19g
- Servings Per Batch 24 cookies
Amount Per Serving:
- Calories 85
- Calories from Fat 45
- Total Fat 5g
- Saturated Fat 3g
- Trans Fat 0g
- Cholesterol 15mg
- Sodium 17mg
- Total Carbohydrate 9g
- Dietary Fiber 0g
- Sugars 6g
- Protein 1g
* The nutrition information provided for this recipe is determined by the ESHA Genesis R&D software program. Substituting any ingredients may change the posted nutrition information.
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Reviews
Delicious !!!
The recipe is terrible. The dough got so warm so fast that it was impossible to use. It was incredible frustrating and I was unable to make cookies from it. I do not recommend this recipe.We're truly sorry to hear this recipe left you feeling disappointed, Ellie. It sounds like you might have been baking in some warm weather, which didn't make handling the dough any easier. Be sure you're using a strong flour (like King Arthur All-Purpose if you're not already doing so), and chill the dough any time it starts to feel soft. Giving the dough (and yourself) a little pause can make all the difference in the world. If you'd like to troubleshoot further, consider giving our Baker's Hotline a call at 855-371-BAKE(2253). We'd be happy to help. Kye@KAF
Made these for my partner twice and both times they came out great! I made with lemon zest with apricot jam - highly recommended! The dough can be tricky. I find it easier to work with after first roll. Wonderful recipe!!
I baked these cookies for my daughter in law's baby shower. They were a huge hit ! They were not that difficult to make, just had to make sure I kept the dough chilled. I would recommend this recipe . Delicious!
So yummy! So easy!! Thanks for sharing this recipe, can't wait to enjoy with my husband :)
I love these cookies and love this recipe! I am a novice baker- things that helped me: chill and re-chill the dough; chill again after cutting. I am not very fast and had to roll out the dough, cut, and then put all the scraps into another flat disc and re-chill. The dough gets very soft and is not easy to work with as it warms up. I also rolled out the dough between two sheets of wax paper, which helped it keeps its form. I put the tray of cut cookies in the fridge to chill for 30 min as directed and then baked, and had no problems at all. I absolutely love the combo of almond and raspberries. These were time consuming for me (again- novice baker), but I would make them again and again. Great recipe, easy to follow as written.
Can you please tell me measures in grams? I would like to make them for new years eve. Thank youTo view the recipe in grams, you can click on the "grams" button below the ingredients header. We hope this helps, and happy baking! Kye@KAF
Great recipe! Made them to give away as Xmas cookies to friends and they were a big hit!
I baked these cookies for a Family Christmas Dinner. They were a big hit! I used Lemon curd, strawberry jam and Nutella. Superb. I even purchased a Linzer cookie cutter with several festive shapes. My mother-in-law is still raving about them! Thanks for this excellent recipe.
I made these yesterday and they were a hit! The dough was quite wet but rolled and cut beautifully when chilled and dusted with flour. Mine took ~10 minutes in the oven for the edges to get golden brown. I filled them with nutella but the cookies taste great on its own. Not too sweet. I'll definitely make them again.