Description
Linzer cookies showcase Austrian culinary heritage with delicate almond-based pastry sandwiched between raspberry jam. Delicate nutty layers and sweet fruity filling create perfect holiday treats you’ll savor with pure joy.
Ingredients
Scale
- ¾ lb (340 g) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 1.5 cups (150 g) ground pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, or walnuts
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (60 g) confectioner’s sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsps pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preparation: Set up a clean workspace and gather all necessary baking tools, ensuring an organized cooking environment.
- Dough Foundation: Whip butter and sugars in a stand mixer until achieving a light, airy consistency with a pale, silky texture.
- Flour Blend: Thoroughly incorporate ground nuts into flour, creating a uniform mixture that will enhance the cookie’s distinctive nutty character.
- Dough Formation: Merge the flour-nut blend with creamed butter, mixing until a smooth, pliable dough develops without overworking the mixture.
- Shaping Process: Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to an even thickness, ensuring uniform cookie dimensions.
- Cookie Cutting: Use decorative cutters to shape cookies, simultaneously creating matching solid and perforated cookie pairs.
- Chilling Phase: Arrange cut cookies on parchment-lined trays and refrigerate, allowing the dough to solidify and maintain precise edges.
- Baking Technique: Warm the oven to the specified temperature, baking cookies until edges turn a golden amber, rotating trays midway for consistent browning.
- Cooling Interval: Transfer baked cookies to wire racks, permitting complete cooling and providing a stable surface for final assembly.
- Filling and Assembly: Spread a layer of rich jam across base cookies, then delicately dust cut-out tops with powdered sugar for an elegant finish.
- Final Presentation: Gently press matching cookie halves together, creating a classic Linzer sandwich with a vibrant jam center.
Notes
- Master Dough Texture: Avoid overmixing to prevent tough cookies; mix just until ingredients combine for tender, delicate results.
- Nut Selection Matters: Choose fresh, high-quality nuts like almonds or hazelnuts for maximum flavor and crunch in your cookie base.
- Chill for Precision: Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling to prevent spreading and maintain crisp cookie shapes.
- Sugar Dusting Technique: Wait until cookies are completely cool before powdering to prevent sugar from melting and ensure a pristine, elegant finish.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Austrian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 25
- Calories: 197
- Sugar: 6.4 g
- Sodium: 0.2 mg
- Fat: 12.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22.1 g
- Fiber: 0.8 g
- Protein: 2.3 g
- Cholesterol: 38 mg