These classic Austrian Linzer Cookies recipe are perfect for the Christmas season. It offers a nutty-flavored cookie with a sweet raspberry filling and a dusting of powdered sugar, making them the perfect Christmas cookies.
These gorgeous cutout cookies are very simple to make - all you need is some cookie cutters and your favorite jam for filling.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Pretty Cookies- Linzer cookies are beautiful sandwich cookies that are easy to make.
Variety of Flavors- You can pick and choose your jam filling for these cookies even though raspberry jam filling is traditional.
Perfect for Special Occasions- These cookies are perfect for the holiday season and special occasions like Valentine's Day. Simply select your desired cookie cutter shape and you're ready to go!
Ingredients in Linzer Cookies
- almond flour
- all-purpose flour
- light brown sugar
- baking powder
- salt
- ground cinnamon
- unsalted butter, room temperature
- large egg
- vanilla extract
- powdered sugar for dusting
- raspberry jam or your favorite jam or preserves filling
How to Make Linzer Cookies
- Starting with softened butter, cream the butter and the brown sugar together in a large bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer until light and fluffy.
- Beat the egg into the butter mixture and add the vanilla extract.
- In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure that all of the ingredients are mixed.
- Divide the dough in half and shape into discs.
- Wrap the discs with parchment paper or plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, out one disc to ⅛ inch thickness using a rolling pin.
- Using the Linzer cookie cutters, cut out the shapes for the bottom pieces of the cookie and keep the same shapes together on the cookie sheet. (lightly dust the cookie cutters as you cut to keep the dough from sticking)
- Repeat the steps and use the cookie cutters to cut out the cookies' top pieces and the cookies' centers.
- Chill the cutout cookie dough on the prepared baking sheets for 20 minutes to allow the dough to firm back up.
- While the first set of cookies chill, repeat the process with the second disc.
- Bake one cookie sheet at a time - 8 minutes for the bottom cookies and 5-6 minutes for the top halves that have the centers cut out.
- Once the tops have cooled for about 5 minutes, use a powdered sugar duster or a fine mesh sieve to dust the tops with powdered sugar.
- Using your favorite jam or preserves, place ½ to ¾ teaspoon on the bottom cookie.
- Gently place the completely cooled top cookie on each bottom half and very gently press down to combine the two cookies.
- Allow the cookie to completely cool on a wire rack before storing.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Combine the dough scraps of the remaining dough and chill in the refrigerator for a few minutes to allow the dough to firm back up before cutting more cookie shapes.
You can also bake the tiny cut-out pieces from the centers for 5 minutes and dust them with powdered sugar. They make great filler cookies for trays!
Tips For Making Linzer Cookies
- Keep Dough Chilled: The Linzer dough is soft due to its high butter content. Always keep half of the dough in the refrigerator while working with the other half. If the dough gets too soft, chill it to make it easier to handle and cut into shapes.
- Cookie Thickness: Use a rolling pin with adjustable rings to get the right thickness.
- Cookie Shapes: You can use a biscuit cutter for the bottom part of the cookie and a smaller cookie cutter for the center of the top cookie if you don't have specifically made Linzer cookie cutters.
- Bake the Same Shapes Together: Bake the bottoms of the cookies separately from the tops of the cookies. The tops have holes in them and will bake faster.
- Jam Filling: Raspberry preserves and jams are a classic, but use your favorite fillings such as apricot jam. Look for seedless jams and preserves for the best texture.
- Storage Tips: Store your Linzer cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze the Linzer cookies without the filling and add the filling when ready to serve.
How To Store Linzer Cookies
Remember to use an airtight container to store your Linzer cookies for up to 5 days at room temperature. If you want to freeze them, place the cookies in a freezer-safe bag and container and store them for up to 3 months. For the best quality, freeze the tops and bottoms of the Linzer cookies without the filling and add the filling when you're ready to serve.
More Christmas Cookies
These beautiful raspberry Linzer cookies are a great addition to any cookie platter or Christmas cookie tray. Here are some other delicious options for cut-out cookies and other favorite holiday cookies.
Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies are some of the prettiest cookies during Christmas, and they're a lot of fun to make with kids and for Christmas cookie-decorating parties.
Stamped shortbread cookies are another fun cookie during the holiday season, and they're so easy to make.
📖 Recipe
Linzer Cookies
These classic Austrian Linzer Cookies recipe are perfect for the Christmas season. It offers a almond-flavored cookie with a sweet raspberry filling and a dusting of powdered sugar, making them the perfect Christmas cookies. These gorgeous cutout cookies are very simple to make - all you need is some cookie cutters and your favorite jam for filling.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- powdered sugar for dusting
- raspberry preserves for filling
Instructions
- Starting with softened butter, cream the butter and brown sugar together in a large bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer until light and fluffy.
- Beat the egg into the butter mixture and add the vanilla extract.
- In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients just until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure that all the ingredients are mixed.
- Divide the dough in half and shape it into discs.
- Wrap the discs with parchment paper or plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc to ⅛ inch thickness using a rolling pin.
- Using the Linzer cookie cutters, cut out the shapes for the bottom pieces of the cookies and keep the same shapes together on the cookie sheet. (Lightly dust the cookie cutters as you cut to keep the dough from sticking.)
- Repeat the steps and use the cookie cutters to cut out the cookies' top pieces and the cookies' centers.
- Chill the cutout cookie dough on the prepared baking sheets for 20 minutes to allow the dough to firm back up.
- While the first set of cookies chill, repeat the process with the second disc.
- Bake one cookie sheet at a time—8 minutes for the bottom cookies and 5-6 minutes for the top halves that have the centers cut out.
- Once the tops have cooled for about 5 minutes, use a powdered sugar duster or a fine mesh sieve to dust the tops with powdered sugar.
- Using your favorite jam or preserves, place ½ to ¾ teaspoon on the bottom cookie.
- Gently place the completely cooled top cookie on each bottom half and very gently press down to combine the two cookies.
- Allow the cookies to completely cool on a wire rack before storing.
Notes
- Lightly dust the cookie cutters as you cut out the dough to keep the dough from sticking.
- Save the cut center pieces of the dough and bake for 5 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar if desired. They make great cookie fillers for trays and platters.
- Bake the bottoms of the cookies separately from the tops of the cookies. The tops have holes in them and will bake faster.
- For easy rolling, place the dough between two pieces of parchment paper. This will help prevent sticking.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1 mini Linzer cookieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 183Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 42mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 1gSugar: 9gProtein: 3g
Nutrition calculation is a rough estimate and can vary depending on the cooking technique and the exact ingredients used. For informational purposes only.
Dana is an experienced recipe creator who crafts easy and delicious recipes for all levels of home cooks.
Her recipes range from classic comfort foods to healthy and nutritious meals, and she is always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to bring flavor and variety to the table.