Linzer Cookie Recipe

Learn how to bake original Austrian Linzer Cookies like I learned from my mother in Austria! This recipe has been passed down through generations and Im excited to share it with you. These sandwich cookies are soft, buttery, and filled with jam. It has been a family favorite for many decades. By the way, have you tried my Vanillekipferl (vanilla crescent cookies) yet?

Linzer cookies are soft, buttery and filled with jam. These are traditional Christmas sandwich cookies from Austria, which are usually filled with apricot or strawberry jam. Theyre so popular that you can buy them in stores all year round, not just during the holiday season, even though theyre considered Christmas cookies.

I got mine from my mother when I was still living in Austria. After some research I found that Wilton sells Linzer Cookie cutters that look similar to mine. Their cookie cutter set is available on Amazon. My cookie cutters are 2 inches (5cm) in diameter and so are theirs. However, any 2-inch cookie cutters will work.

Making the dough is as easy as making regular sugar cookie dough. Start mixing the butter until creamy. Then add powdered sugar followed by egg yolks. Stir in the vanilla, salt, lemon juice and cinnamon. Finally add flour and almond flour. Divide the dough in half and shape it into discs. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough, ¼-inch (0.6cm) thick. Then cut out cookies and place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. You can space them 1-inch (2.6cm) apart as they dont spread at all.

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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.

Prep: 25min

Total: 2h35min

Yield: 15

Serving Size: 1 sandwich cookie (43g)

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 sandwich cookie (43g), calories 210 calories, Carbohydrate 23g, Cholesterol 35mg, Fiber 1g, Protein 3g, Sodium 40mg, Sugar 13g, Fat 12g, Saturated Fat 6g, Trans Fat 0g

Ingredients:

• 12 tablespoons (170g) unsalted butter softened
• 1/2 cup (99g) granulated sugar
• zest (grated rind) of 1 lemon or 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon King Arthur Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 1/3 cups (160g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 3/4 cup (72g) King Arthur Almond Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• raspberry jam or lemon curd for filling
• confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Instruction:

To make the dough: Beat the butter, sugar, and zest (or cinnamon) 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: Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and let it soften for 5 to 10 minutes, until it feels soft enough to roll. It should still feel cold, but shouldn’t feel rock-hard. On a floured surface, roll one disc of dough out about 1/8″-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. If at any time during this process the dough becomes sticky and hard to work with, simply refrigerate it for about 20 minutes, until firm., Place the cut cookies (you should have 15 cookies) in the refrigerator for 30 minutes and preheat the oven to 350°F., While the first half of cookies is chilling, cut 15 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 12 to 15 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 or lemon curd into the center, spreading it slightly. Top with the sugar-dusted cookies., Storage information: Store filled cookies, well wrapped, at room temperature (when filled with jam) or in the refrigerator (if filled with curd) for several days; freeze for longer storage.

The softest and best Linzer Cookies

Baking Linzer cookies is a delicious holiday tradition in Austria, where they originated. Buttery and soft, these sandwich cookies have been popular for centuries for their sweet taste and tender texture. Although they’re considered Christmas cookies, they’re usually enjoyed all year round!

Prep: 60min

Total: 147min

Yield: 32

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 134 kcal, Carbohydrate 14 g, Protein 2 g, Fat 8 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Trans Fat 0.2 g, Cholesterol 27 mg, Sodium 39 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 5 g, unSaturated Fat 2.3 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 vanilla bean* (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 cup almond flour, spooned and leveled
• 1/2 cup apricot or strawberry jam
• Optional powdered sugar for decoration

Instruction:

1. In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, mix the butter on medium speed until creamy for about 1-2 minutes. Add the sugar and mix to combine. Stir in the egg yolks until combined. Add the salt, cinnamon, vanilla*, and lemon juice and mix just until incorporated. On low speed, stir in flour and almond flour just to combine.
2. Divide the dough in half and shape into 1-inch (2.6cm) thick discs. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C and line 2 or 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one dough disc at a time 1/4 inch (0.6cm) thick. Using a 2-inch (5cm) cookie cutter of your choice, cut out cookies and place about 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets. You should end up with about 64 cookies.
5. Bake one sheet at a time for 9-10 minutes until they look dry. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
6. Fill cooled cookies with jam by spreading jam on the bottom of one cookie and placing another on top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if you like. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

Linzer Cookies

Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth Linzer cookies are filled with jam and dusted with powdered sugar. They’re the perfect holiday cookie!

Prep: 60min

Total: 70min

Yield: 30

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups (315g) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (90g) powdered sugar*
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (200g) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes and chilled
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Filling: 1/2 cup strawberry jam or other jam of your choice

Instruction:

1. Process flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor for a few seconds until combined. Add butter and pulse several times until mixture becomes crumbly and resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolk and vanilla, and keep pulsing until dough starts to clump together. The dough should be crumbly with large clumps. If dough is too dry, add a bit of water. Another way to check if the dough is done is to take a piece of dough and press it between your thumbs – the dough should stick well together without feeling dry. Avoid overworking the dough throughout the process.
2. Turn the dough to a floured surface and form into a disc. Wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line pans with parchment paper and set aside.
4. Roll out dough on a floured surface until it’s about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick (for sandwich cookies I prefer thin cookies). Cut 60 rounds or hearts of dough using a 2 inch (5 cm) cookie cutter. Using a smaller round (or other shape) cutter, cut a hole into the center of 30 of the cookies.
5. Transfer cookies gently using a thin spatula to the prepared baking sheets, placing them 1 inch apart.
6. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until cookies are golden just at the edges. Let cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Sift powdered sugar on top of the cookies with the holes.
7. Put about 1/2 teaspoon of jam in the center of the whole cookies, then place the cookies with the holes on top, and press gently.
8. Store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Linzer Cookies

Nutty, buttery and filled with jam, Linzer cookies are one of the prettiest cookies around.

Prep: 30min

Total: 40min

Yield: About 30 cookies

Serving Size: 1 sandwich cookie

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 sandwich cookie, calories 154, Fat 8 g, Carbohydrate 20 g, Protein 2 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, unSaturated Fat , Sugar 11 g, Fiber 1 g, Sodium 44 mg, Cholesterol 27 mg

Ingredients:

• 1⅓ cups Confectioners’ sugar
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 14 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch slices
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• About 1 cup raspberry or apricot jam

Instruction:

1. In the bowl of a food processor, process the sugar and almonds until the almonds are finely ground and the mixture is powdery, about 1 minute. Add the flour, salt, and butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, about twenty 1-second pulses. Add the egg yolks, vanilla, and almond extract and process until dough forms a crumbly, clumpy mass, 20 to 25 seconds. Transfer the dough to a clean work surface and knead it into a smooth ball. Divide the dough in half and form two disks, wrap each disk tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 4 days.
2. Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Remove one disk of dough from the refrigerator and knead with your hands until just soft and malleable enough to roll. (The longer the dough is refrigerated, the more you will have to knead it; just be careful not to overwork it – it should still feel cool.) Liberally dust a clean work surface with flour, and roll out the dough to ⅛-inch thickness. Using a 2.5-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles. After creating the circles, use a 1-inch round, heart, or any-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the centers from half of the circles (these will be the top halves of the cookies).
4. Using a metal spatula, transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart.
5. Gather up the scraps, knead into a flat disc, roll, and repeat (if too warm, pop back in the fridge for a bit).
6. Bake until the edges are lightly browned, about 8 minutes, rotating the cookie sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking.
7. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. If using the second disc of dough immediately, remove from the refrigerator and repeat the process.
8. Lightly sift confectioners’ sugar over the cookie tops. Spread about 1 teaspoon jam on each of the bottom halves, leaving about ¼-inch border, and sandwich both halves together. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
9. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The dough can be wrapped in plastic wrap and a layer of foil and frozen for up to three months. When ready to bake, remove the dough from the freezer, thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature until pliable, and then proceed with the recipe. The assembled cookies can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

How To Make Linzer Cookies