These buttery, jam-filled sandwich cookies have that perfect balance of nutty richness and sweet raspberry tartness peeking through the center. The first time I made Linzer cookies, I was drawn to how elegant they looked, like something you'd find in a European bakery window, but they're surprisingly simple to pull together at home. The almond dough is tender and spiced with cinnamon, and when you dust that powdered sugar on top, they look absolutely festive.
If you're looking for a holiday cookie that feels special without being fussy, these are it. They also pair beautifully with a slice of Easy Banoffee Cake Recipe | Banana Caramel Layer Cake for a complete dessert spread, or serve them alongside London Fog Cake Recipe | Easy Earl Grey Lavender Cake for an afternoon tea vibe that feels really cozy.
Why You'll Love This Linzer Cookies
These Linzer cookies are everything you want in a holiday treat. The dough comes together easily, and you can make it days ahead, which takes so much stress out of holiday baking. The ground almonds (or pistachios if you want to switch it up) give the cookies this beautiful, tender crumb that feels fancy but homey at the same time.
They're also really forgiving. If your dough gets too soft while you're rolling, just pop it back in the fridge for a few minutes. The jam filling adds a pop of color and flavor, and honestly, they look like they came from a bakery. Kids love helping cut out the centers, and they make wonderful gifts when packed in a tin with parchment between the layers.
Plus, you can enjoy them with a warm cup of tea or even after a rich meal like Rømmegrøt Recipe: Traditional Norwegian Porridge for a sweet finish.
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Linzer Cookies Ingredients
These simple ingredients come together to create tender, festive cookies with a nutty base and fruity center.
See Recipe Card Below This Post For ingtedient Quantites
Almonds or pistachios: Finely ground with brown sugar, these nuts give the cookies their signature tender texture and rich, nutty flavor. Almonds are traditional, but pistachios add a beautiful green tint and subtle sweetness.
Brown sugar: Adds moisture and a hint of caramel depth to the nut mixture.
All-purpose flour: Forms the structure of the cookies and keeps them soft without being crumbly. Make sure to spoon and level your flour so you don't pack in too much.
Baking powder: Gives the cookies just a little lift so they're tender, not dense.
Ground cinnamon: Adds warmth and a classic holiday spice note that pairs perfectly with the jam.
Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the flavors of the nuts and spices.
Unsalted butter: Creamed with sugar, this creates a soft, rich dough. Make sure your butter is at room temperature so it blends smoothly.
Granulated sugar: Sweetens the dough and helps create that light, creamy texture when beaten with the butter.
Egg: Binds everything together and adds moisture to the dough.
Pure vanilla extract: Adds a subtle, sweet background flavor that rounds out the spices.
Jam or preserves: Raspberry is classic, but apricot works beautifully too. The tartness cuts through the richness of the cookies.
Confectioners' sugar: Dusted on top for a snowy, festive finish.
How to Make Linzer Cookies
These steps will guide you through making tender, bakery-style Linzer cookies from start to finish.
Prepare the nut mixture: Place the almonds or pistachios and brown sugar in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture becomes very fine crumbs, almost like coarse flour. Set this aside.
Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt until everything is evenly distributed.
Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium-high speed to beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together. Keep mixing for about 3 minutes until the mixture looks light, fluffy, and creamy.
Add egg and vanilla: Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute until everything is smooth and fully combined.
Combine wet and dry: Add the flour mixture and the nut mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed until the dough just comes together. It might look a little crumbly at first, but after a minute or two, it will form a cohesive dough.
Chill the dough: Divide the dough into two equal portions. Flatten each portion into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. You can chill it for up to 4 days if you want to prep ahead.
Prepare for rolling: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. If your dough feels rock-hard after chilling, let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes to soften slightly.
Roll out the dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the first disc of dough to about ¼-inch thickness. Use a 2-inch round or fluted cookie cutter to cut out circles. Gather the scraps, re-roll, and keep cutting until all the dough is used. Repeat with the second disc.
Create the window cookies: Take a 1-inch round or fluted cutter and cut a hole in the center of 32 of the cookies. These will be your top cookies with the jam peeking through.
Bake the cookies: Arrange the solid cookies and the cutout cookies on separate baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake the solid cookies for 11 minutes and the cutout cookies for 10 minutes, or until the edges turn lightly golden. Rotate the sheets halfway through for even baking.
Cool and dust: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack. While the cutout cookies are still slightly warm, use a fine mesh sieve to dust them generously with confectioners' sugar.
Assemble the sandwiches: Spread about ½ teaspoon of jam on the bottom of each solid cookie. Gently press a sugared cutout cookie on top to create a sandwich.
Helpful Substitutions
If you need to swap ingredients, here are some options that work well without changing the texture too much.
Nuts: If you can't use almonds, pistachios are a beautiful substitute and give the cookies a lovely pale green color. You can also try hazelnuts for a deeper, toasted flavor.
Jam: Raspberry and apricot are traditional, but strawberry, blackberry, or even fig jam would be delicious. Just make sure it's thick enough that it won't run out of the cookies.
Butter: You can use a plant-based butter substitute if you need a dairy-free version, though the flavor will be slightly different.
Flour: For a gluten-free version, try a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend. The texture may be slightly more delicate, so handle the dough gently.
Equipment For Linzer Cookies
Having the right tools makes this Linzer Cookies much easier and more fun.
- Food processor: Essential for grinding the nuts into fine crumbs.
- Glass mixing bowl: For combining your dry ingredients.
- Whisk: To evenly distribute the flour, spices, and baking powder.
- Electric mixer: A handheld or stand mixer makes creaming the butter and sugar effortless.
- Baking sheets: You'll need at least two so you can bake both types of cookies separately.
- Parchment paper or silicone mats: Prevents sticking and makes cleanup easy.
- Rolling pin: For rolling the dough to an even thickness.
- 2.5-inch cookie cutter: For cutting the main cookie shapes.
- 1-inch cookie cutter: For cutting the center holes in the top cookies.
- Fine mesh sieve: For dusting powdered sugar evenly.
- Cooling rack: Allows air to circulate so cookies cool evenly.
How to Store Your Linzer Cookies
These Linzer Cookies store beautifully, which makes them perfect for gifting or making ahead.
Room temperature: Store assembled cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers for up to 3 days. They'll stay crisp and the jam will stay fresh.
Refrigerator: If you live in a warm climate or want them to last longer, refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Let them come to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
Freezing the dough: You can freeze the unbaked dough discs for up to 3 months. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight before rolling and baking.
Freezing baked cookies: You can freeze the baked, unassembled cookies for up to 2 months. Assemble them after thawing so the jam stays fresh.
Expert Tips
Chill the dough properly: Don't skip the chilling step. It makes the dough easier to roll, helps the cookies hold their shape, and deepens the flavor.
Keep your workspace cool: If your kitchen is warm, the dough can get sticky fast. Work quickly, and if it starts to soften, pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes.
Use parchment paper under your dough: When rolling, place the dough between two sheets of parchment. This prevents sticking and makes cleanup easier.
Don't overbake: The cookies should be just lightly golden on the edges. Overbaking makes them dry instead of tender.
Dust sugar while warm: The powdered sugar sticks better to slightly warm cookies, giving you that beautiful snowy finish.
Use thick jam: Thin jam will seep out and make the cookies soggy. If your jam is runny, simmer it for a few minutes to thicken it up before using.
FAQ
What country are Linzer cookies from?
Linzer cookies come from Austria, specifically from the city of Linz. They're inspired by the traditional Linzertorte, one of the oldest known tart recipes. Grandma always said these cookies were like eating a little piece of that history in every bite.
What are Linzer cookies?
Linzer cookies are sandwich cookies made with a spiced nut dough (usually almond), filled with fruit jam, and dusted with powdered sugar. The top cookie has a cutout center so you can see the jam inside. They're buttery, tender, and just sweet enough.
What kind of cookie is Linzer?
Linzer cookies are a type of sandwich cookie made with ground nuts and warm spices like cinnamon. They're usually filled with raspberry or apricot jam and have a delicate, crumbly texture that melts in your mouth.
What are Taylor Swift's cookies?
Taylor Swift is known for baking and gifting chai sugar cookies to friends and fans, not Linzer cookies. However, Linzer cookies would make a lovely holiday gift too, especially if you pack them in a pretty tin with a handwritten note.
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Linzer Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Place the almonds and brown sugar in a food processor and pulse until finely ground.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- Using a stand or handheld mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar together until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and ground nut mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes. It will be crumbly at first but will form a smooth dough.
- Divide the dough into two even portions, flatten into discs, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours or up to 4 days.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Roll one disc of dough on a floured surface to ¼-inch thickness. Cut out 64 circles using a 2.5-inch round or fluted cutter. Reroll dough scraps as needed. Repeat with the second disc.
- Using a 1-inch round or fluted cutter, cut a hole in the center of half the cookies (32 total).
- Place the cookies 2 inches apart on separate baking sheets. Bake the whole cookies for about 11 minutes, and the cookies with holes for about 10 minutes. Rotate the trays halfway through baking.
- Allow cookies to cool on the sheets for 5 minutes. Dust the cookies with holes using powdered sugar. Transfer all cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Spread ½ teaspoon of jam on the bottom of each whole cookie. Top with a holey cookie and press gently to form a sandwich.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
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