Linzer Tart Cookies
Soft and sweet Linzer Tart Cookies! Holiday almond sugar cookies, apricot jam, that are decorated with powdered sugar and pistachios.
Servings: 18 cookie sandwiches
Equipment
- scalloped rectangular cookie cutter (6.5cm x 4.5cm)
- piping tip size 2 or 3 (cut cookie hole with large round side)
Ingredients
Linzer Cookie Dough
- 96 grams almond flour
- 250 grams all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon pink peppercorns ground into small flecks with spoon or spice grinder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 227 grams unsalted butter *European style softened at room temperature
- 133 grams granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange zest finely graded
- 2 large egg yolks room temperature
- 1.5 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
Jam Filling
- 165 grams apricot jam
Cookie Topping
- 56 grams powdered sugar for dusting
- 113 grams roasted pistachios finely chopped
Instructions
Make the Cookie Dough
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, almond flour, peppercorns, ginger, and salt. Set aside.96 grams almond flour, 250 grams all purpose flour , 1 tablespoon pink peppercorns, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat together the softened butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes.227 grams unsalted butter *European style, 133 grams granulated sugar
- Add in the egg yolks, orange zest and vanilla. Mix again to incorporate. Scrape bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.1 teaspoon orange zest, 2 large egg yolks, 1.5 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- Reduce mixer speed to low and spoon in 1/3 of the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Repeat with remaining flour, spooning in 1/3 at a time. Scrape bottom and sides of the bowl again as need to ensure everything is incorporated. Mix until a rough cookie dough is formed. DO NOT over mix the dough.
- Divide cookie dough in half and shape each half into a disk with your hands. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Dough will need to chill and firm for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.
Bake Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C) and line two cookie sheets or rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Double layer the parchment paper to prevent over browning.
- Remove one disc of dough from the fridge and place on either a lightly floured surface or between to pieces of parchment paper.
- Gently roll out the cookie dough between 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch thickness. The thicker cookies are less fragile and hold their shape better.
- Make the bottom of the linzer cookie sandwiches first. Take your cookie cutter of choice and cut the dough.
- Any dough scraps can be re-packed into a disc and rolled out again. If the dough gets too soft, re-wrap in plastic wrap and chill until firmer.
- Transfer cut-out cookie dough onto parchment lined baking pans. Space 1-2 inches apart. *If the dough has become too soft, option to chill cookies for 15-20 minutes before baking to prevent losing their shape in the oven.
- Bake the solid cookies on the middle rack of the oven for 8-9 minutes or until edges start to slightly golden.
- Remove baking pans and place on wire cooling racks. Allow cookies to cool on the cookie pan before transferring to a wire rack or decorating surface.
- Make the top cookies next. Repeat rolling out and cutting with second half of the cookie dough. To make the tops of the cookie sandwiches, be sure to use a smaller cookie cutter of choice to carefully cut out the center of each cookie.
- Transfer the top cookies to lined baking pans. Space 1-2 inches apart. These may bake faster than the solid cookies and closer to 6-7 minutes or until edges start to slightly golden.
- Remove baking pans and place on wire cooling racks. Allow cookies to cool on the cookie pan.
- Carefully transfer cookies with an offset or flat spatula onto a flat surface for assembly.
Assemble Cookies
- Once the top cookies (the ones with holes) are cooled, set them on a piece of parchment paper to decorate.
- Cover half of the cookie with a piece of cut-out paper and dust the exposed cookie with powdered sugar through a small wire sieve.56 grams powdered sugar for dusting
- Line up the bottom cookies (the ones without holes) and spread a 3/4 teaspoon dollup of apricot jam on each cookie. Spread the jam carefully to the edges of the cookie. *A little more jam can also be added to where the hole will be.165 grams apricot jam
- Gently place a powdered sugar cookie top on each of the bottom cookies. Careful to avoid pressing to hard with the top cookie.
- Add the chopped pistachios by painting a thin layer of maple syrup on the part of the top cookie that doesn't have powdered sugar.113 grams roasted pistachios
- Pour maple syrup into a small bowl. Take a pastry brush and dip it into the maple syrup. Lightly coat the exposed cookie top with maple syrup, then sprinkle the pistachio crumbs onto the syrup to stick.
- *Adding the nuts to the top cookie can also be done before making the sandwich just after the powdered sugar step. This will prevent any pistachio pieces from going into the jam. I just find it easier to do last.
- Eat and enjoy you beautiful linzer cookies! The flavors only get better the next day if you have any left.
Video
Notes
- Linzer Cookie Cutter: Any size cookie cutter will work, and the hole for the jam can be made with any shape that's smaller. You don't need to purchase a specific set, but you can use the traditional Linzer cookie cutters if you prefer. For this recipe, I used rectangular scalloped edge cutters and made the jam hole with a circular end of a piping tip. Cut the holes in the center or offset.
- Cookie Dough: If the cut-out dough has become warm, option to chill cookies for 15-20 minutes before baking to prevent losing their shape in the oven
- Refrigerate: Linzer cookie dough can be made up to 3 days prior to baking. Cover in plastic wrap and store in the fridge until ready to bake. Allow cookie dough to warm on the counter at room temperature for about 20 minutes to slightly soften before rolling out.
- Freeze: Cookie dough can also be made, stored in freezer safe plastic wrap or air tight freezer bag.
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Store Cookies: Sandwich cookies are best stored in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 7 days of freshness.
- Place a piece of parchment paper between the cookies if you stack them in a container or cookie tin.
- Assembled cookies can be frozen in an air tight freezer safe bag for up to 3 months.
*Weighing flour is how I test all my recipes. The measurement I use: 1 cup of flour equals 125 grams. Please note that this amount can change based on a different baker’s recipe or using a conversion tool. The weight listed in the recipe is how it was tested and should be used for accuracy. *Different brands of flour are made with soft or hard wheat and have varying levels of protein, ranging from low to high. This can change the final result of a baked good, giving different outcomes on the same recipe. I list the level of protein in the ingredients, the brand of flour tested with and a link to My Baking Ingredients for additional details. When choosing a flour, look at the protein level on the back of the bag and consult the recommended amount for the recipe.