Traditional Austrian Linzer Cookies are perfect for your holiday cookie collection. Popular throughout Austria and Germany, these Linzer Cookies are made from a rich buttery dough with ground almonds, filled with a tart raspberry jam, and finished with a sprinkling of confectioners' sugar. The almonds give an otherwise plain butter cookie an awesome texture and taste.
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Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need
Making the Austrian Linzer Cookies - Step-by-Step
- Cream Butter & Sugar: Beat the butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest until it is light and fluffy. This should take about 3 minutes.
- Structure & Flavorings: Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract. Continue beating for another minute or so until well incorported.
- Flour: Add the almond flour, all-purpose flour, and salt. Beat on low just until the dough is combined.
- Ziploc Bag: Transfer the dough to a Gallon Ziploc bag. Gently roll the dough with a rolling pin until it completely fills the bag and is an even thickness. Seal the bag and place it in the freezer overnight.
- Cut the Cookies: Remove the cookie dough from the freezer. Cut away the Ziploc bag and place the dough on a well-floured piece of parchment paper. Use holiday Linzer cookie cutters to cut rounds. Leave half of the rounds plain and the other half with a cutout in the center. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in a preheated 350°F oven until the edges start turning a light brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven; let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Finish: Sift confectioners' sugar over the cutout cookies. Spread raspberry jam on the flat side of the plain cookies and top with the sugar-dusted cookies.
The Traditional Austrian Linzer Cookies had an incredible texture and taste. They weren't too sweet with just a hint of lemon, making them a perfect Christmas cookie for gifting or sharing. Yum!
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Recipe
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Traditional Austrian Linzer Cookies
Equipment
- half-sheet pan lined with parchment paper
- Rolling Pin
- Gallon Ziploc Bag
- Linzer cookie cutter
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (6 ounces, 170 grams) unsalted butter
- ½ cup (3.5 ounces, 99 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest about 1 lemon
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup (2.75 ounces, 78 grams) almond flour
- 1 cup (4.25 ounces, 120 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- Raspberry jam for filling
- Confectioners' sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Beat butter, sugar, and lemon zest on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolk and vanilla, and beat for another 2 minutes until well combined. Add salt and almond flour; beat on low just until combined. Add all-purpose flour; beat on low just until combined. The dough will be soft and sticky.
- Using the spatula, transfer the soft, sticky dough to a gallon-size ziploc bag. Put the bag on a flat surface. Leaving the top open, roll the dough into a ¼-inch thick rectangle that completely fills the bag. As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so that it doesn't cause creases. Seal the bag, and freeze the dough for at least 2 hours, or for up to 2 days.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
- Put the Ziploc bag on a cutting board and carefully cut it open. Turn the firm dough onto a well-floured parchment-lined board or counter; discard the bag.
- Using a 2-½ inch round cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Cut out the center of half of the cookies. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between cookies. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. While cookies are chilling, cut rounds from the remaining dough.
- Bake cookies at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are just beginning to turn brown. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To finish the cookies, place the cookies with holes in them on a cookie sheet and sift confectioners' sugar over the top. Turn remaining cookies flat side up and spoon ½ teaspoon of jam into the center, spreading it slightly. Top with sugar-dusted cookie.
- Yield: 20 Linzer Cookies.
Teri says
Hello! I am excited to try baking these traditional cookies, but I have one question...my daughter can't have wheat flour, can I use all Almond flour?
Chula King says
Teri,
I haven't made these with Almond flour, so don't know whether it would work or not.
Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.
Chula