Raspberry Linzer Cookies

Linzer Cookies Origin

Traditionally, Linzer cookies are sandwiched cookies made of dough made of all-purpose flour, nuts, butter, lemon zest, cinnamon, and egg yolks. Linzer cookies should by no means contain margarine instead of butter; adding nut flour is a must. Egg yolks instead of whole eggs make them especially rich and tender.

Linzer cookies are named after the Austrian town of Linz. In addition to cookies, there is also a Linzer torte, one of the oldest tarts dating back to the 17th century.

Both the Linzer cookies and Linzer tart use the same ingredients, more or less. The only difference is that the cookies are made with small cookie cutters while Linzer tart is made with a classic tart mold.

Did you know that Linzers made with round cookie cutters are called Linzer Eyes (Linzer Augen)? I find that really cute!

Ingredients And Variations For Raspberry Linzer Cookies

• All-purpose flour – sift the flour.
• Almond flour – you could use storebought almond flour or you could grind the almonds in the food processor. Whatever suits you better. If you opt for the second option, you don’t need to use blanched almonds and you can toast them on the dry pan to have even more flavor. You could also use ground hazelnuts, ground pistachios, or ground walnuts.
• Butter – we need unsalted butter, at room temperature. Don’t replace it with margarine, please. You’ll break my heart.
• Sugar – you need regular granulated sugar for the cookie dough and powdered sugar for dusting.
• Egg yolks – some recipes use whole eggs, some only egg whites, some only egg yolks, and somewhere whole eggs are combined with egg yolks. The egg white is rich in protein and the yolk is rich in fat. This fat gives a rich, almost velvety texture to the cookies and makes them incredibly tender. Using only egg yolks in this recipe is a total game-changer, trust me.
• Cinnamon – I prefer using Ceylon cinnamon because it has a milder and more delicate flavor. It won’t overpower other ingredients.
• Lemon zest – for added aroma and freshness of cookie dough. Always use organic lemons for zesting. You could use orange zest, too.
• Salt – we need just a pinch, for intensifying other flavors. 
• Raspberry jam – you could make your own raspberry jam or buy the one from the store. It’s best to use seedless raspberry jam for these cookies, but if you and your guests don’t mind some extra texture, use the one with seeds in it. Instead of raspberry jam, you could use red currant jam or no-pectin apricot jam.

How To Make The Best Linzer Raspberry Cookies

Check out the recipe card at the end of this post. It has the exact amounts of ingredients and detailed recipe instructions!

STEP 1: Make almond flour

Toast the almonds on a dry pan and grind them in the food processor. Allow to cool completely and then mix with sifted flour and cinnamon. If using store-bought almond flour, skip this step.

STEP 2: Prepare and chill Linzer cookie dough

Beat the butter until fluffy. Add sugar and beat again. Add egg yolk, one by one, lemon zest, and salt and beat until combined and fluffy.

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl, and add them to the creamed ingredients. Beat until just combined. You could do this step with a silicone spatula, too. Do not overmix!

Divide the cookie dough into two halves, form each in a disk, and wrap them with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Put them in the fridge for about 1 hour.

STEP 3: Roll the cookie dough and cut the shapes

Preheat the oven to 170°C (338°F). Line two baking trays with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface roll out the cookie dough to a thickness of 4-5 mm. Cut with desired cookie cutters.

STEP 4: Bake Linzer cookies

Bake for 10-11 min.

It’s best to bake the bottom halves of Linzer cookies and then bake the top halves in another tray. This way every cookie will be baked evenly. The baking time will slightly differ for each tray: I baked the top halves for 10 minutes and the bottom halves for 11 minutes. Every oven is different, so keep an eye on these beauties!

STEP 5: Assemble and serve

Dust the top halves (the ones with holes) with powdered sugar. Add some jam to the middle of the bottom cookie halves and carefully sandwich the cookies together. Be gentle when doing this; otherwise, the cookies might crack.

Make Ahead Tips

If you want to save some time before Christmas, I have some useful make-ahead tips for preparing these Linzer Raspberry cookies!

1. Prepare the cookie dough in advance: You can make this cookie dough for up to 2 days in advance. Just wrap it tightly in a plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before rolling out.
2. Freeze the dough – Linzer cookie dough freezes well. After rolling it out and cutting the shapes, place the cutouts on a flat surface and freeze them for 1-2 hours. Once frozen, transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, you can bake the cookies directly from frozen – just add a couple of extra minutes to the baking time.
3. Pre-make the raspberry jam – If you’re making homemade raspberry jam for your Linzer cookies, make it a few days earlier and store it for up to 5 days in the fridge.

How To Store Linzer Cookies

Linzer cookies can be stored in a cookie box, preferably metal, for up to 10 days. If they even last this long, which I honestly doubt.

When you sandwich them with raspberry jam, they will soften even more and be less brittle. If you want them on the crispier side, sandwich them with a jam just before serving. If you serve them with some type of fruit curd (like lemon curd) chia jam, or some other more perishable spread, keep in mind that they should be kept in the fridge and consumed within a few days.

More Christmas Recipes And DIY’s

• HOW TO MAKE YOUR HOME SMELL LIKE CHRISTMAS
• CAROB AND ORANGE BUNDT CAKE
• RED MULLED WINE – BASIC RECIPE
• 8 EDIBLE HOMEMADE CHRISTMAS FOOD GIFTS

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