Easy Classic Linzer Cookies

These Linzer cookies are buttery, nutty little sandwiches with a kiss of jam peeking through a cute cut-out — flaky, slightly crisp edges with a tender center. They’re the kind of cookie that looks fancy at a holiday table but is forgiving enough to make on a random Tuesday when you’ve got jam and a mood for baking.

My husband calls them “the grown-up sandwich cookies” and hoards them like a squirrel. One winter afternoon I made a double batch for a cookie swap and came home to find the Tupperware empty and one sad jam smear on the counter. Now they’re our weekend ritual: I roll, he pokes the holes (very serious about his shapes), and the kid tries to eat all the cut-out centers before they make it to the baking sheet. Somehow, despite the mess and the flour-on-everything phase, these cookies feel like the comfiest small victory.

Kitchen Talk

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I love that these feel fussy but are actually forgiving. Do I always chill the dough the full recommended time? No — sometimes I pop it in the freezer for 10 minutes and call it a day. Once I forgot to sift the powdered sugar and the dough was a touch grainy; the cookies still came out tender, but lesson learned: sifting is quietly heroic. Also, if you don’t have a tiny cookie cutter for the top, use the end of a straw or a piping tip — my husband’s “industrial cutter” is literally a bottle cap and it works.

Shopping Tips

– Baking Basics: Pick all-purpose flour and powdered sugar from the same brand you usually trust; consistency matters here more than flash-brand packaging.
– Fats & Oils: Use unsalted butter and buy a block you can grate or cube; freshness counts — avoid butter with a long-ago “best by” on it.
– Nuts & Seeds: Almond flour or finely ground almonds give the cookies that classic nutty texture; if you must sub, use finely ground hazelnuts for a different but lovely profile.
– Fruit: Choose a good-quality raspberry or red currant jam — smoother, seedless jams make the cookie window prettier and slice cleaner.
– Eggs: One egg (or an extra yolk sometimes) helps bind; if eggs are tiny, bump your bake time by a minute and watch closely.

Prep Ahead Ideas

– Make the dough a day ahead and keep it wrapped in plastic in the fridge; it actually rolls better when it’s cold.
– Cut out the cookies and place them on a tray lined with parchment, then freeze the tray uncovered for 30–45 minutes before transferring to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen with an extra minute or two.
– Store jam in a small jar in the fridge once opened and portion into a squeeze bottle for quick filling during assembly — less sticky chaos.

✔Time-Saving Tricks

– Use a food processor to blitz butter, flour, and almond meal together — it cuts mixing time in half.
– Roll dough between two pieces of parchment to avoid re-flouring and speed up cleanup.
– If you’re short on chill time, pop the dough in the freezer for 10–15 minutes instead of a long fridge rest.

✔Common Mistakes

– Overworking the dough will make cookies tough — I did this once when I was trying to “fix” crumbly scraps and ended with hockey-puck vibes; rescue by kneading in a tiny splash of cold cream and chilling.
– Using a jam with big seeds can make cutting messy and the tops stick when stacking; strain chunky jam if needed.
– Baking at too high a temp browns the edges before the centers set — watch the first pan and rotate halfway.

What to Serve It With

– Coffee (duh) — strong, slightly bitter coffee cuts the richness.
– Hot tea with a slice of lemon for balance.
– A simple bowl of fresh berries to echo the jam flavors.
– Vanilla ice cream for an absurdly good dessert mash-up.

✔Tips & Mistakes

– Work cold: keep butter and dough chilled for flakier cookies.
– Don’t overfill: a thin smear of jam is enough — too much and they slide.
– If tops stick, warm the jam slightly so it spreads easier.
– One-liners: use a toothpick to pop air bubbles in the jam, and dust with powdered sugar just before serving for that fairytale look.

✔Storage Tips

These cookies keep at room temp in an airtight container for 3–4 days; put a square of parchment between layers so the cut-out tops don’t smoosh. They freeze very well — individually flash-freeze on a tray, then into a bag. Cold Linzer cookies are still delicious (perfect for breakfast with coffee, don’t judge), but they’re softer straight from the oven.

✔Variations and Substitutions

– Swap almond meal for hazelnut meal for a toasty twist; it changes the flavor but is delicious.
– Use apricot or strawberry jam if you don’t have raspberry — darker jams show through the window better.
– For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and give the dough a bit more chill time.
– If you’re dairy-free, try a high-quality plant butter that’s firm when cold; results vary, so expect a small texture change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Easy Classic Linzer Cookies

Tender almond shortbread sandwich cookies filled with bright raspberry jam and finished with a snowy sugar dusting. A cozy, classic treat that’s easier than it looks.

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Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 14 minutes minutes

Total Time: 44 minutes minutes

Servings: 24

Ingredients

 

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Main Ingredients

• ▢ 0.75 cup unsalted butter, softened
• ▢ 0.5 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 0.25 cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 tbsp egg yolk about 1 large yolk
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest optional but brightens flavor
• ▢ 1.75 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 cup almond flour (blanched, finely ground)
• ▢ 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• ▢ 0.5 tsp fine salt
• ▢ 0.75 cup raspberry jam seedless if you prefer smooth
• ▢ 0.5 cup powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

Preparation Steps

• Cream butter with granulated and powdered sugars until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Beat in egg yolk, vanilla, and lemon zest until smooth.
• Whisk flour, almond flour, cinnamon, and salt in a separate bowl.
• Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix just until a soft dough forms.
• Divide dough in half, flatten into discs, wrap, and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment.
• Roll one disc between parchment to 1/8 inch thick. Cut rounds; cut a small center from half the cookies.
• Arrange on sheets and bake until edges are lightly golden, 10–12 minutes. Cool completely on racks.
• Dust the cutout tops with powdered sugar.
• Warm jam slightly and stir smooth. Spread a thin layer on solid cookies and cap with dusted tops.

Notes

Swap in apricot or blackberry jam, or add a pinch of cardamom to the dough. Store assembled cookies airtight up to 5 days; for longer keeping, freeze the baked shells and fill with jam the day you plan to serve.

This recipe is an original creation inspired by classic Easy Classic Linzer Cookies flavors. All ingredient ratios and instructions are independently developed.