The buttery, tender, nut-free linzer cookies are filled with raspberry jam and generously dusted with powdered sugar. Perfect with a cup of tea and a good book!
- 8 oz unsalted butter, room temperature (2 sticks)
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 3 cups AP flour
- 1/2 cup raspberry preserves, well stirred
- confectioners sugar, for dusting
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Beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the lemon zest.
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Contine to beat and add the egg yolks, one at time, beating after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
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Add the salt and flour and beat on low just until the dough comes together. Don't over-mix.
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Scrape the dough out of the bowl and form into a large, flat disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least one hour.
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment.
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Divide the dough in half (keep the other half chilled) and roll out the dough to a 1/4 inch thickness.
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Use a 2 inch cookie cutter in your desired shape (round, heart, square with fluted or straight edges) and cut out as many cookies as you can. Reserve your scraps.
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Repeat with remaining dough and then combine the scraps of both and re-roll.
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Place the cookies about 1 inch apart on the lined baking sheets. Cut out a small hole or desired shape (heart) from one half of the cookies. If you don't have small cookie cutters, the round end of pastry tip will work.
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Chill the cut out cookies for about 15 mins and then bake until they are golden brown and set, about 12 mins, rotating the pans once.
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Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for about 5 mins before removing them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
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Once the cookies are cooled, sift confectioners sugar over the cookies with the hole in the center and add a spoonful of jam to the other half. Place the dusted cookies over the halves spread with jam and press lightly to adhere.
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If making these in advance, store the cookies without jam in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Spread with jam before serving.
Recipe yields 26 sandwich cookies
- To yield a tender cookie, be sure not to over-mix the dough.
- Chill the dough for at least an hour before rolling it out so the cookies hold their shape as they bake.
- Raspberry jam is the traditional filling, but any flavor of jam can be used.
- Be sure to dust the tops with powdered sugar before making the sandwiches so the jam centers remain shiny.
- If you're not serving the cookies right away, wait to fill them with jam until closer to serving time so they remain crisp. Store filled cookies at room temperature covered loosely with foil to preserve their texture.