Linzer Cookies – these buttery melt-in-the-mouth cookies sandwiched with jam are some of the prettiest and tastiest Christmas cookies you will ever bake! This easy Linzer Cookie recipe makes a large batch that’s perfect for gifting and sharing.
You will also love my Lebkuchen – Traditional German Cookies and Christmas Stollen
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What are Linzer Cookies?
Linzer cookies are pretty little sandwich cookies filled with jam. They hail from Austria where they are traditionally baked at Christmas time (but eaten year-round).
These melt-in-the-mouth cookies are beautifully soft and a little nutty from the almond flour in the dough.
They look truly festive with their dusting of powdered sugar and jewel-like jam centres which resemble stained glass windows.
You can use seedless strawberry or smooth apricot jam to fill them or freestyle and use whatever you like – like my passion fruit jam!
Shopping List
You will need a rolling pin with spacer rings, cookie sheets, silicone mats or reusable baking liners as well as a selection of cookie cutters. The dough can be made with a hand or stand mixer. I also have this little Oxo dusting wand that makes the dusting of sugar a real pleasure (“sweet snow” as my son calls it).
The cookie dough uses almond flour (or ground almonds), powdered sugar, butter, egg, vanilla, orange juice and flour. It is spiced with ground cinnamon or ground cardamom.
RECIPE TIPS
Linzer cookies are a pleasure to roll out and bake as they don’t spread and keep their shape beautifully. Since the dough is quite buttery and soft it will need to be kept chilled. Divide into small pieces and work in batches.
You can buy special fluted Linzer cookie cutters to make the traditional Austrian Linzer cookies but any cookie cutter will work as long as you have a smaller cutter to use for the cut-out shape. I often bake a batch of heart-shaped Linzer cookies on Valentine’s day 🙂
HOW TO MAKE LINZER COOKIES
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
Prepare the cookie dough
Pulse the almond flour and sugar in a food processor to combine or sift both ingredients into a bowl. This will help remove any lumps.
Place the butter in a mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer). Beat until the butter is creamy, a couple of minutes.
Add a spoonful of the almond/sugar mix, the egg, orange juice and vanilla. Beat to combine then gradually add the remaining dry ingredients, salt and spices.
Tip the dough onto plastic wrap and form into a disk. Wrap tightly and rest in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight.
Cut out and bake the cookies
Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. You will need to roll out the dough in batches as it can easily soften. Divide into four pieces and keep any dough you are not using wrapped and chilled. Use silicone mats or baking paper to line a large cookie sheet (you will need to bake the cookies in batches).
Lightly dust your worktop with powdered sugar (icing sugar). Roll out the dough until it is approximately ¼ inch (0.6cm) thick (a rolling pin with spacing disks is ideal for this purpose).
Use Linzer cookie cutters to cut out the cookies. Half the cookies will be plain round disks and the other half will have a little cut out shape. You can use any shape of cookie cutter as long as you have a smaller cutter to use as the cut out shape.
Transfer to the cookie sheet, spaced slightly apart. Bake for 9-10 minutes or until the cookies are just coloring at the edges. Cool on the baking sheet for five minutes, then carefully lift onto a wire rack to cool.
Dust the cookies with the cut out windows with powdered sugar (icing sugar).
Spread jam or jelly on the bottom half of the cookies and sandwich together. Serve immediately or keep in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
USEFUL TOOLS
These tools will help you get this Linzer cookie recipe just right!
- Digital scales – I always use these for accurate measuring. If you are using cups, fluff the flour first then spoon the ingredients into the cups and level.
- A rolling pin with spacing rings – makes rolling out cookie dough easier!
- Linzer cookie cutters or any shapes you like (I used these cookie cutters also)
- Heavy cookie sheets (trays) that will not warp in the oven
- This reusable baking liner is fantastic for rolling out the dough on and for baking the cookies. Alternatively you can use silicone baking mats.
YOU WILL ALSO LOVE…
HAVE YOU MADE MY LINZER COOKIE RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram with @supergolden88 and the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!
Linzer Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (100g) almond flour or ground almonds
- 1 cup (120g) sugar, powdered / icing sugar
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter , soft and cubed
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp orange juice , freshly squeezed, sieved
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon or ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 2 ½ cups (330g) flour , all-purpose / plain flour
- ½ cup (160g) jam or jelly strawberry, apricot or redcurrant
- powdered / icing sugar as needed, to dust
Instructions
Make the cookie dough
- Pulse the almond flour and sugar in a food processor to combine or sift both ingredients into a bowl. This will help remove any lumps.
- Place the butter in a mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer). Beat until the butter is creamy, a couple of minutes.
- Add a spoonful of the almond/sugar mix, the egg, orange juice and vanilla. Beat to combine then gradually add the remaining dry ingredients, salt and spices.
- Tip the dough onto plastic wrap and form into a disk. Wrap tightly and rest in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight.
Make the cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. You will need to roll out the dough in batches as it can easily soften. Divide into four pieces and keep any dough you are not using wrapped and chilled. Use silicone mats or baking paper to line a large cookie sheet (you will need to bake the cookies in batches).
- Lightly dust your worktop with powdered sugar (icing sugar). Roll out the dough until It is approximately ¼ inch (0.6cm) thick (a rolling pin with spacing disks is ideal for this purpose).
- Use cookie cutters to cut out the cookies. Half the cookies will be plain round disks and the other half will have a little cut out shape.
- Transfer to the cookie sheet, spaced slightly apart. Bake for 9-10 minutes or until the cookies are just coloring at the edges.
- Cool on the baking sheet for five minutes, then carefully lift onto a wire rack to cool. Roll out the remaining dough, gathering any scraps and rolling as you go.
- Dust the cookies with the cut out windows with powdered sugar (icing sugar).
- Spread jam or jelly on the bottom half of the cookies and sandwich together. Serve immediately or keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Video
Notes
- Linzer cookies are a pleasure to roll out and bake as they don’t spread and keep their shape beautifully. Since the dough is quite buttery and soft it will need to be kept chilled. Divide into small pieces and work in batches.
- You can buy special Linzer cookie cutters to make the traditional Austrian Linzer cookies but any cookie cutter will work as long as you have a smaller cutter to use for the cut-out shape. I often bake a batch of heart-shaped Linzer cookies on Valentine’s day 🙂
Angela Field says
These look adorable, I've always wanted to make Linzer type biscuits/pastry etc. I bet these make a wonderful gift.
Helen at Casa Costello says
Never to early for Christmas recipes in my world! These would be a hit in my house all year round anyway x
Lucy Allen says
Lovely cookies, my kids would like these all year round. I bet the flavours are wonderful!
Roz Goodgame TheFoodieCoupleBlog says
Never too early in my opinion! these look so pretty too
Adina says
Never too early for cookies. I have already made Linzer cookies for a dessert at the weekend, they tasted great but were not as pretty to look at as yours are. Maybe I should try yours, mine spread way too much on the tray…
Jen Price says
Oh yes! I don't think it's too early for these. The jam sounds delicious and I love the fact you've used cardamom, my current favourite spice to bake with, haven't tried roasting it before though, will try that soon 🙂
Louise | Cygnet Kitchen says
I was going to make some of these the other day. They may be Christmassy but I could eat them anytime. Lovely shots too, as always Lucy! Caprera has some wonderful produce on their site, I can't wait to try this jam. Pinned! x