Linzer Cookies Recipe
Fresh homemade raspberry spread gets sandwiched between two tender almond flour cookies in this classic Linzer cookie recipe.
Servings: 24 sandwich cookies
Ingredients
LINZER COOKIES
- 2 and ½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
- ½ cup + 3 and ½ Tablespoons (80g) almond flour1 a scant ¾ cup
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ⅔ cup (137g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- powdered sugar as needed and if desired
- ⅓ cup (21g) raspberry spread2 recipe below
RASPBERRY SPREAD
- 8 ounces (227g) fresh raspberries
- ¼ cup (30mL) water
- 3 Tablespoons (38g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (15mL) lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
LINZER COOKIES
- Whisk the flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium size bowl. Set aside.2 and ½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour, ½ cup + 3 and ½ Tablespoons (80g) almond flour1, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Be sure it is very smooth and creamy.1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, ⅔ cup (137g) granulated sugar
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat on high speed until combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.1 large egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined. It may be crumbly. This is ok. Keep mixing until it comes together or use a spatula to bring it all together.
- Divide the dough into two equal portions, gently flatten each portion into a disc, then wrap each disc individually in plastic wrap. Chill the discs in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days. If chilling longer than 2 hours, allow to sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before rolling.
- If you are making the raspberry spread from scratch (recipe below): I highly recommend making this while the cookie dough chills so you are ready to assemble the cookies when they are cool.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- You will be working with each disc of dough separately to form the bottoms (whole circle cookies) and tops (circles with a hole cut out from the center) of the Linzer cookies. You will either need a 2" round or fluted cookie cutter and a 1" round or fluted cookie cutter for the holes or a set of cookie cutters made specifically for Linzer cookies. This is the exact Linzer cookie cutter set I have and used for these cookies.
- Dust your work surface with flour, then remove one disc of chilled cookie dough from the refrigerator. Place one disc on the floured surface, flour a rolling pin, then roll out to ¼" thick. The dough may become sticky and/or crack as you work. This is ok. Use flour and your hands to keep the dough soft and intact as you work with it.
- Using a 2" round or fluted cookie cutter, cut dough into circles. Re-roll the remaining dough until you use all of it. You should get about 24 whole circles.
- Arrange 8 whole circle cookies 1" apart on one of the prepared baking sheets and bake for 11-12 minutes or until the surface is matte and the edges are just starting to slightly brown around the edges where they touch the baking sheet. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- While the whole circle cookies bake, remove the second disc of dough from the refrigerator and repeat the process using the "donut" cookie cutter from your Linzer cookie cutter kit OR the same 2" cutter from the whole circle cookies + a 1" round or fluted cookie cutter for the donut circle cookies.
- Arrange 8 donut cookies 1" apart on one of the prepared baking sheets and bake for 10-11 minutes or until the surface is matte and the edges are just starting to slightly brown around the edges where they touch the baking sheet. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
RASPBERRY SPREAD
- Combine the raspberries, water, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a small saucepan.8 ounces (227g) fresh raspberries, ¼ cup (30mL) water, 3 Tablespoons (38g) granulated sugar, 1 Tablespoon (15mL) lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- Heat the mixture over medium heat, bring to a low boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes while stirring frequently so the fruit doesn't burn. The liquid will become thick and very seedy. You will want to stop when the mixture is thick enough to leave an open trail behind the spoon or spatula you are using to stir it with. When it is ready, you will have about ½ to ⅔ cup of total concentrated cooked raspberries.
- While the mixture is still hot, strain it through mesh sieve until you have about ⅓ to ½ cup of raspberry spread. If you desire, you can add back some of the seeds and stir until evenly dispersed (I added about ½ Tablespoon).
- Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. When it is cool, it should be thick but not gummy and you should be able to spread it. If it is too thick, add in a bit of water and stir to smooth it out.
ASSEMBLE COOKIES
- Before assembling the cookies, dust the donut cookies (the tops of the cookie sandwiches) with powdered sugar, if desired. This is an optional but traditional step.powdered sugar
- Arrange the whole circle cookies (the bottoms of the cookie sandwiches) on a surface, then spread a scant ½ teaspoon of raspberry spread on each cookie. Carefully top each bottom cookie with a top donut cookie and press down gently to create a cookie sandwich. Cookies will stay fresh covered at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. If you want to freeze these cookies, I highly recommend freezing them just as cookies and assemble them when ready to serve. Unbaked cookie dough freezes well, up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.⅓ cup (21g) raspberry spread2
Notes
- Almond flour: I test and bake all of my recipes by weight, and 80g on the dot is the perfect amount for this Linzer cookie dough. I strongly encourage you to measure out 80g of almond flour with a kitchen scale rather than using measuring cups.
- Raspberry spread: you can absolutely use pre-made raspberry jam, preserves, or jelly for these raspberry Linzer cookies.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @freshaprilflours on Instagram or tag #freshaprilflours!
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
