Almond Linzer Cookies Recipe with Assorted Fillings

The BEST Almond Linzer Cookies Recipe with Assorted Fillings

This almond based shortbread cookie dough sandwiched with assorted delicious filling of jams and chocolate make a perfect treat any time of the year. This simple, easy and effortless recipe for the best linzer cookies will give you rich, crisp and buttery sandwich cookies you can wow family and friends at holidays and special occasions.

What can be more festive than handing out cookies. These Almond Linzer Cookies are rich, crisp and buttery filled with jam, chocolate, Nutella or dulce de leche.

Almond Linzer Cookies – A festive treat

Linzer cookies are one of my favorite cookies to bake (and eat). It’s a bit time consuming but the end result is so fascinating. They make a great project for kids too! Not to mention the jam in there gets the kids all excited. So are my Traditional Gingerbread Cookies

Almond Meal – Nut based cookies

I believe Linzer cookies are originally made with Pecan meal or some nut meal. But over time the due to the amount of people with nut allergies we have been making them without nuts. So be aware just in case you make these for kids or anyone with nut allergies.; please inform people before you have these out as treats. I will be posting my Classic Linzer Cookie recipe which are nut free soon. I think you will love those too – they are short bread style and almost melt in the mouth.

Almond Linzer Cookies with assorted fillings

Let’s talk ingredients

Almond Meal – I’m told the traditional recipe has to be with Pecan Meal but let’s face it Pecans are not readily available or affordable everywhere. My mom made these with mostly cashews because those were easily affordable and available to her. I make these with Almond meal because those are to me. The point is you can use any nut meal that is more easily available and affordable to you.
Cornstarch – This is what gives these cookies that crumble in the mouth texture. If you must omit cornstarch I’d say add some rice flour or all purpose flour
Unsalted Butter – I always use unsalted butter in my baking but if you have to use salted – go ahead just omit the salt in the recipe.
Fillings – This is the fun part so make it count. I’ve given you suggestions that we love to have at home but you can use anything that you want!
Buttercream, coconut cream – as long as it’s not too wet or soak up into the cookies.
For example – your buttercream will be just butter and sugar.. not liquid. I hope that makes sense.

Almond Linzer Cookies with Assorted Fillings

Homemade Nut Meal / Almond Meal

I know some of you do not get nut meal where you are and that’s OK. Nut meal is actually just powdered nuts. The main reason we buy it commercially is because nuts have a tendency to be oily when ground and commercial grinders are very high speed that do the job quick and easy with less cornstarch.

But you can make nut meal very successfully at home. All you need to do is add a bit of sugar or cornstarch or even flour from your recipe to your nuts in the food processor when grinding them. The sugar/cornstarch/flour prevents the nuts from releasing any oils giving you a nice dry powdered almond meal.

Every nut will give you a different quantity of ground powder but for the purpose of this recipe –
Take 3/4 cup Almond and use the cornstarch you have in this recipe to grind them to a fine powder in the food processor. This should give you the 1 cup almond meal you need for this recipe.

Almond Linzer Cookies with Assorted Fillings

The BEST Almond Linzer Cookies Recipe (Save/Pin)

Tools

Almond Linzer Cookies with Assorted Fillings

Ingredients

For the short bread cookies

Almond Meal – 115 grams (1 cup) (see note to use whole almonds)
All Purpose Flour – 220 grams (2 cups)
Cornflour – 30 grams ( 1/4 cup)
Unsalted Butter – 228 grams (1 cup or 2 sticks)
Sugar – 150 grams ( 3/4 cup)
Confectioners Sugar – 30 grams / 1/4 cup
Vanilla essence – 1 tsp
Salt – 1/2 tsp
Eggs – 1 whole Egg + one Egg yolk
Baking powder – 1/2 tsp

Assorted Fillings

Seedless Jam – Strawberry, Raspberry, Blueberry
Ganache – melt 100 grams (3.5 oz) chocolate with 60 ml (1/4 cup) fresh cream. combine well, cool before using.
Nutella – straight out of the jar
Dulce de leche – use my homemade recipe or straight out of a jar.

Method

Combine dry ingredients

Combine baking powder, salt, cornflour, flour and almond meal together

Prepare Dough

Cream butter, sugar and confectioners sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and egg yolk
Followed by the vanilla – combine well.
Lastly add the flour mix.
The dough will be soft and requires to be chilled

Divide Dough and chill

Divide dough into two disc and wrap in cling / plastic wrap,
Refrigerate for at least an hour or until cold enough to roll
Work with one disc at a time while the second is still in the fridge

Prepare for rolling

Roll the first disc to about 1/8 inch in thickness on a lightly floured surface
Cut the cookie disc with a 3 inch round cookie cutter – this is for the bottom cookie
Place them on a parchment lines baking tray and into the fridge to chill.
Roll the second disc again the same 1/8 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.
Cut out the cookies using a 3″ round cookie cutter
Then cut the center out using a 1″ round cookie cutter – this is the top cookie
Make cookies with all the remaining dough making sure you have equal pair for the top and bottom of the cookie.

Using Linzer Cookie Cutter.

If you have a set of linzer cookies follow the same process as above
Roll dough to about 1/8 inch thick
For the bottom cookie use the set without the center attachment
For the top cookies use desired shaped center cut outs.
Ensure you have equal number of top and bottom cookies to make your sandwich cookies.

Bake the cookies

Chill the cookie in the fridge while the oven is preheating
Preheat the oven at 170 C / 340 F
Bake the cookies on the center rack for about 8 to 10 minutes.
Once baked cool on the cookie sheet for 5 mins then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

To assemble the cookies

Once the cookies are cooled dust them with powder sugar.
These cookies are delicate so handle carefully
Place a teaspoon of jam (or Nutella) on the bottom cookie
Spread it slightly
Place the top cookie on the bottom cookie.

Storage and notes

This dough can be halved or double successfully.
Store them in a cookie jar at room temperature for up to 5 or 6 days.
To make them in batches you can refrigerate cookie dough for a week or
Freeze the dough for up to one month then – thaw in the fridge over night before using.

Don’t forget to save this recipe on Pinterest for later.
You can find a collection of my tutorials and recipes here on Pinterest.

Almond Linzer Cookies with Assorted Fillings

3 votes