The holidays aren't complete without a jam cookie and these soft, crumbly Linzer Cookies with warm notes of cardamom are sure to brighten the winter days ahead.
The origins of the Linzer Cookie actually began in the form of a tart with a black current preserve and quickly became a holiday tradition in Austria. Then in the city of Linz, bakers recreated the dough but instead made various cutouts and create mini tartes, or as we know them now, sandwich cookies. Over the years, different variations were created, and the most common is a red fruit jam sprinkled with powdered sugar.
For me, jam cookies are a holiday staple. It truly feels like Christmas around here when I bake my first batch of jam cookies. Over the past few years I've made Italian Butter Cookies which are also a family favorite. Sometimes I'll make thumbprints but this year I was craving a Linzer Cookie. I was making sugar cookies and decided to make a cutout jam cookie, and thus today's recipe came to be.
There are a few variations to Linzer Cookies as expected and I made a few subtle changes myself to today's recipe. For starters, I added a pinch of cardamom to the dough. The warm, fragrant spice adds a taste of the holidays that is unexpected but delicious. It's such a subtle taste too which plays well into the sweetness of the jam filling.
As for the dough, I used shortening and butter to ensure an extra soft cookie.
The filling is the fun part. You can use raspberry, strawberry, apricot, black current, even marmalade which I think would also work fabulously with the cardamom. Just be sure to finish them off with a generous dusting of powdered sugar in the end.
Linzer Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 2 dozen cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
- 2 cups AP flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Cardamom
- 14 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons shortening
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
- Raspberry jam (you can also use strawberry jam, apricot preserves, black current, or marmalade)
- Confectioner's sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- In the bowl of your mix master, beat butter and sugar until combined. Add cardamom, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk. Beat again until whipped.
- Add the flours and salt. Beat on low until a soft dough comes together. Turn out on a lightly-floured surface and shape into a disk. Wrap in clingfilm or wax paper and refrigerate for about 30 minutes - 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough until about 1/8-inch thick. Cut out cookies with a 2-inch cookie cutter of your choice. You'll get around 48 cookies total. For half of those cookies, cut out the center (these will be the tops). *I used an apple corer to get the smaller center circle.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, just until the edges began to take on a light golden color. Remove and carefully transfer to a wire rack to cook completely.
- Once the cookies have cooled, evenly spread about 2 teaspoons worth of jam on the bottom cookies and top with cookies with holes in them. Dust with confectioner's sugar and serve!
- Cookies will keep for up to several days in a air-tight container.
Keywords: cookies, linzer cookies, jam cookies, christmas,
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Mosaic Horoscope says
Yesssss to cookies, super super like! I love baking cookies, especially during holidays.
Josie Budah says
I am definitely going to make these! They look delicious like all your other recipes.
MELANIE EDJOURIAN says
These sound wonderful and look great too. I know the kids would love to try making them.
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Yeah Lifestyle says
These Linzer cookies look delicious! I still have some baking to do the coming week and will definitely be trying your recipe
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Melissa Cushing says
I have pinned this recipe as I would love to make these homemade cookies for my family. We buy these fro a bakery but everythign is better homemade!
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Erin says
Those cookies look so delicious and yummy! I will have to makesome soon!
Indrani says
They look colorful and tempting. I like how you have photographed them.
Thanks for the detailed recipe.
Jupiter Hadley says
My grandmother use to make a similar cookie when I was a child, but I never got the recipe from her! This is perfect, thank you so much for sharing.
Everything Enchanting says
Yum! These Linzer Cookies look so pretty and delicious 😍 I will have to give your recipe a try!
Jasmine Martin says
I always see these cookies around the holiday season. I would love to try these for myself and my family soon.
Gloria says
These are always so pretty on the holiday treat tray. Perfect for cookie exchanges. Leave some out for Santa too.
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Amanda Mason says
These were great! Cardamom is a spice I just love and is so under used!! So glad you added it to this cookie recipe! Making another batch of these later this week!
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David J Myers says
Catherine, Linzer cookies and their type of 'jam cookies' are just about my favorite ever! We had a neighbor in Chicago...who would make me a batch of the Polish version of these cookies every year. I still miss them...and her! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
Bernice says
I love Linzer cookies and Linzer tart. My first batch (from the back of the cookie cutter box) did not turn out, so I'm going to give yours a try. Thanks for the recipe!
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Kayla DiMaggio says
Loving these linzer cookies! So easy and delicious!
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Kathryn says
These linzer cookies are so fun and beautiful! I made a platter of these earlier this week and they are all gone. They were such a hit!
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Liz says
I agree, holidays aren't the same without a Linzer cookie! Such delicious cookies, these take me back to childhood!
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Veronika says
My favorite type of cookies for Christmas! Going to bake them tomorrow!
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Veronika Sykorova says
Linzer cookies are such a classic. We make them every Christmas! I've never tried them with almond flour though, that sounds amazing!
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Lily says
This is so pretty. I never had these kind of cookies
silvia says
Omg! absolutely delicious. I loved the cardamon in the recipe. These Linzer cookies always look so beautiful and festive, perfect for the holiday season. I'll be making them over and over again.
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Claudia Lamascolo says
So pretty and they put you just in the right mood to get into the holiday spirit (I have a confession to make > I make a double batch so I can sneak them all year long so good!) thanks for this awesome recipe and have a fabulous Holiday season!
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