Linzer Cookies

It is not known who invented the Linzer Torte which is said to be the oldest cake in the world. We do know for certain that it originated in Linz Austria. Linzer torte is a delightful almond based pastry filled with jam. On the other hand, Linzer Cookies is the mini and just as delicious version and generally makes an appearance around Christmas time.

I personally think it is too delicious just to be made at Christmas. There’s no reason why it can’t be made year round. It’s easy to make and keeps well for about a week in an airtight container.

A linzer cookie, is essentially a buttery almond cookie sandwich filled with jam or curd. What makes it distinctive is the peekaboo in the middle ,wherein the jam filling shows through, and is then finished with a generous dusting of icing sugar to give it a holiday feel.

What you need to make it…

• Good quality high fat content butter
• Caster Sugar
• Vanilla Essence
• Egg Yolks
• Grated zest of one lemon
• Plain Flour
• Almond Meal/Almond Flour – Almond meal is coarser in texture than almond flour. I’ve tried both and they were both equally good.
• Premium Quality Jam or Lemon Curd
• Round Cookie Cutter or Specialty Linzer Cookie Cutter

Steps in Making Linzer Cookies

• Mix soft butter lemon zest vanilla and sugar in a stand mixer on medium speed with paddle attached until pale and fluffy,about two minutes.
• Add egg yolks, and mix until well combined.
• To this mix, add plain flour and almond meal and mix on low until the mixture resembles coarse wet sand and clumps together.
• Divide into two portions and shape into flat discs . Wrap in cling wrap and place in the fridge to chill for about an hour. This makes the cookie dough easier to handle and results in sharper edges when you cut the cookie with cutter.
• Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. For each cookie, you need two pieces. One without the cutout and one with the peekaboo cutout where the filling shows through.
  

• Remove one dough from the fridge. If it’s too hard, let sit for about 5 minutes to soften a little. Use a round cutter or a specialty linzer cookie cutter. Carefully place cookies in a baking paper lined baking tray. Repeat for this remaining dough. Depending on the size of the cutter, for example if you used a 2 inch cutter, you should have 15 cookies with no holes. These are the base cookies.
  
• Get the other dough from the fridge and use cutter to cut cookie shapes. Use the large hole of a piping tip to punch the peekaboo hole in the middle of the cookie. Some specialty linzer cookie cutters have the puncher included in the cutter. Repeat for the remaining dough and place in a baking paper lined baking tray. This is the top cookie with peekaboo holes.
• Re roll cookie dough scraps and cut out the rest of the cookies. Ideally you should have the same number of base and top cookies.

• Place the tray filled cookies in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.
• Bake in a preheated oven for ten to 12 minutes. Let cool in the tray for ten minutes and place in a cooling tray to cool completely.
• Place the base cookies(without the holes) side up and place a teaspoon of jam or curd in the centre spreading it lightly but leave the edges bare.
• Sprinkle the top cookies (with the peekaboo holes) generously with icing sugar. Use this to top the base cookies.
• ‘Repeat for all the other cookies. If you have any odd cookie without a pair, dust it with icing sugar and serve as is.

Linzer Cookies

Recipe by Loa Adele

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: DessertCuisine: Austrian

Servings

15

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Linzer Cookies filled with Jam or Lemon Curd

Ingredients

• 225g butter softened

• 2/3 cup sugar

• Grated zest of 1 lemon

• 2 egg yolk

• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 cups plain flour

• 1 cup almond flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• Filling

• Strawberry jam

• Lemon Curd or Apricot Jam

• Icing sugar for dusting

• White icing for decoration, optional

Directions

• Place butter lemon zest vanilla and caster sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment.
• Mix on low to blend then increase speed to medium high and beat until pale and fluffy about 2 minutes.
• Add the 2 egg yolks and mix until incorporated.
• Add the almond meal salt and flour and mix until it resembles coarse wet sand.
  
  
• Divide into 2 portions and shape into a circle. Wrap in cling wrap and flatten into a flat disc about 1/2 cm thick.
• Place the 2 dough into the fridge to firm up, about an hour so it’s easier to handle.
• Remove dough from the fridge. From one dough, using a cutter, cut out the base cookies and gently place into a baking paper lined baking tray. Leave 2 cm space in between cookies. Repeat until the dough is used up. Re roll the dough scraps and cut out more cookies.
• Get the second dough from the fridge. If too hard, leave in the counter to soften up for about 5 minutes. Use a cutter to cut out cookies. Transfer cookies to baking tray lined with baking paper. Use the end of piping tip to cut the peekaboo hole in the middle of the cookies. Or if using specialty linzer cookie cutter, use this to punch the holes. This will be the top cookies.
• Place the trays of cookies in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 175°C.
• Bake cookies for 12 minutes or until the edges are just starting to turn golden.
• Cool cookies in the tray and then transfer into a rack to cool completely.
• Assembly
• Place jam/curd in the middle on each of the base cookies.
• Dust the top cookies (with peekaboo holes) generously with icing sugar.
• Place to peekaboo cookies on top of the base cookies lining up the edge.
• Repeat for all the remaining cookies. If there is an odd one, just dust the top with icing sugar and it’s just as delicious.
• Store in a single layer in an airtight container.

Notes

• Will keep for a week in an airtight container. If curd was used as a filling, store in the fridge.