Best Austrian Linzer Cookies
Austrian Linzer cookies are very special. Not just because they are beautiful but they are also very delicious. Making them isn’t as easy as throwing ingredients in a bowl and baking. Giving someone a box of almond Linzer cookies isn’t the same as giving any other cookies. Sandwiched with an assorted delicious filling of jams and chocolate makes a perfect treat any time of the year especially during the festive season.
What do you bake during Christmas? Do you make lots of cookies? cakes? Sweet? I grew up with lots of cookies, cakes, and sweets because my mom took orders for these meaning everybody depended on her for their Christmas goodies. Growing up beside mom making cakes, cookies and learned them not realizing I was a baker myself. I thought all kids grew up the same as me. Of course, over the years when I went away from home I realized a lot of my friends didn’t know how to bake which made me the baker, cook in the house.
I must admit that being a grown woman jam sandwich cookies are still one of my absolute favorite cookies. I love, jam anything and my sandwich cookies are always a treat.
It’s Linzer cookie time or as my kids say jam cookie season. When they were little I’d make this often during the year too not just the holidays. 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. Also, they make a great project for kids. Not to mention the jam in there gets the kids all excited.
About these Almond Linzer cookies
This is a simple, easy and effortless recipe for the best Austrian Linzer cookies, I promise. It will give you rich, crisp and buttery sandwich cookies that you can wow family and friends with on holidays and special occasions. The dough is almond-based so it has this wonderful almond flavor and crumbles that just melts in your mouth. Accompanies with jam it’s absolute heaven.
If you don’t want to use almond I highly recommend my Classic Linzer cookies recipe which uses a shortbread cookie dough as a base. I will be sharing my brown sugar jam sandwich cookies as well as my matcha jam sandwich cookies with you soon too. I told you I love jam sandwich cookies – didn’t I?
Let’s Talk Ingredients (Save/Pin)
- Almond Meal – My mom made these with mostly cashews because those were easily affordable and available to her. I make these with an almond meal because those are available to me. The point is you can use any nut meal that is 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. And yet, if you have to use salted butter – 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. And yet, you can use anything that you want. Jams, Nutella, buttercream.
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 just ground nuts. The main reason we buy it commercially is that nuts have a tendency to be oily when ground. Commercial grinders work at a very high-speed and do the job quick and easy with less cornstarch.
But you can also make nut meal very successfully at home. All you need to do is add a bit of sugar or cornstarch, or even flour to the nuts in the food processor when grinding them. The sugar/cornstarch/flour prevents the nuts from releasing any oils. As a result, 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 – grind 3/4 cup almond with the cornstarch you have in this recipe in a food processor. This should give you the 1 cup almond meal you need for this recipe.
Useful Tips and Tools
- I’m not a slave to mixers. And yet, when you need some good creaming I have to insist that you use the K-Mix or Kitchen Aid.
- A good baking tray is always important. So, try using a light colored baking trayBaking tray. Another option is to line the baking tray with Parchment Paper.
- If you aren’t going to fill or decorate these cookies a regular rolling pin will work just fine. And yet, a Cookie rolling pin has the side spacers that will also help you with rolling. So all your cookies are leveled and bake evenly.
- Also, it is really important to cool cookies completely on all sides as soon as they come out of the oven. So take them off the baking tray to prevent them cooking further and place them on a Cooking rack so they air circulates on all sides. This prevents steam from going back into the cookie thus…… keeping them crispy not soggy.
- Always bake cookies on the center rack of your Oven. And if you have more than one tray simply bake them one at a time. You can bake two trays at the same time, and yet this can lead to some of the cookies in the bottom tray spreading too much. Also, you can rotate the trays during the baking. This is helpful with some cookies.
- Most cookies usually bake between 10 to 12 minutes. Since cookies bake quickly they can also get over-baked. This is due to our tendency to get distracted at the last minute. Hence, my solution is a kitchen timer that is always set to 10 minutes. I turn it on as soon as I place the cookies in the oven. This has saved me many cookies since my kids always keep me busy.
How to Make The BEST Austrian Almond Linzer Cookies (Save/Pin)
Combine dry ingredients
- Combine baking powder, salt, cornflour, flour, and almond meal together.
Prepare the 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 the dough and chill
- Divide dough into two discs 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-lined 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 an equal pair for the top and bottom of the cookie.
Using a Linzer cookie cutter
- If you have a set of Linzer cookie cutters 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.
- and for the top cookie, use desired shaped center cutouts.
- Ensure you have an 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 powdered 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 doubled 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 the cookie dough for a week, or
- Freeze the dough for up to one month then – thaw in the fridge overnight before using.
Tips for making the perfect Almond Linzer cookies
- Always have all the ingredients at room temperature so the butter and sugar cream well.
- Use castor sugar or pulse the sugar in a food processor so it dissolves easily when creaming into the butter
- Rest the dough before rolling the cookies. Resting helps the butter firm up again which makes it easier to work and prevents spreading
- If the rolled cookies dough is soft, place it in the fridge for 15 minutes before you cut the cookies. Chilled cookie dough will give well-defined shapes.
- Preheat the oven for a good 15 minutes making sure the oven is at the right temperature. A cold oven will spread the cookies.
- Place cut cookies in the fridge while the oven is preheating to prevent spreading.
- When baked leave the cookies on the tray for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.
Troubleshooting – Linzer cookies
Why are my shortbread cookies spreading?
Make sure you don’t have the oven at very low temperature. The low oven can cause the butter to melt and spread the cookies.
My Austrian Linzer cookies are underbaked?
Gingerbread cookies typically take between 8 to 10 minutes unless they are rolled too thick. The cookies will continue to bake on the hot baking tray even after taking them out of the oven. Having said that if you feel the cookies are very underbaked, you can put them back into the oven for 2 to 3 minutes. Keep a close eye as they can easily overbake
Frequently asked questions
If stored properly in a cookie box these will stay fresh for up to two weeks.
Place cookies in a cookie jar or airtight container to prevent them from going soft
Yes, you can freeze the dough wrapped well in a ziplock bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight when ready to use.
You can also freeze the rolled cookies on a cookie sheet between parchment papers. Wrap the tray in plastic to prevent drying out.
Alternatively, freeze the baked cookies between parchment papers and thaw in the fridge overnight when ready to use.
The cookie base for the Linzer cookies is a shortbread dough so they are crisp but crumbly not hard, neither too soft
A typical Linzer cookie disc will take between 8 to 10 minutes. The outside of the cookies will have a slight color. The cookie will be set when you touch with your finger. Always, take into account that the cookies will continue to cook on the hot baking pan even after you take it off the oven.
We have used very little leavening of baking powder in this Almond Linzer cookies to prevent them from spreading too much. Baking soda will make the cookies puffy with rounded corners taking away those sharp edges. So, no it’s best to use only baking powder.
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Almond Linzer Cookies
Print Pin RateDescription
Ingredients
For the shortbread cookies
- 115 grams Almond meal (see note to use whole almonds)
- 220 grams All-purpose flour
- 30 grams Cornflour
- 228 grams Unsalted Butter
- 150 grams Sugar
- 30 grams Confectioners sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla essence
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 Egg
- 1 Egg yolk
- 1/2 tsp Baking powder
For the filling
- 0.25 cup Strawberry jam or any other jam
- 0.25 cup Chocolate Ganache Or
- 0.25 Nutella Or
- 0.25 Dulce de leche Or
Conversions – Switch between Metric & US for other measurement options
Instructions
Combine dry ingredients
- Combine baking powder, salt, cornflour, flour, and almond meal together.
Prepare the 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 the dough and chill
- Divide dough into two discs 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 lined 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 an equal pair for the top and bottom of the cookie.
Using the Linzer cookie cutter
- If you have a set of Linzer cookie cutters 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 cutouts.
- Ensure you have an 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.
Assemble the cookies
- Once the cookies are cooled dust them with powdered 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.
Recipe Notes
Storage and notes
- This dough can be halved or doubled 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 overnight before using.
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Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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Marie
These linzer cookies look so delicious! Sandwich cookies are one of my favourites. Love all the tips and tricks you provided too. Can’t wait to make this recipe during the holidays soon.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Marie.
Norbert
Made these last week and the kids loved it. Thank you
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Norbert. So happy to hear that you had success with this recipe and that the kids loved it. My kids love these too. Thanks for coming back to write this feedback.
Leday
Made these for my kids and they loved it. The cookies just melt in the mouth. Love it. Thanks for sharing.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Leday. So happy to hear that you had success with this recipe and that your kids enjoyed it. Mine love these too especially the jam and nutella. Thank you so much for coming back to write this feedback. Appreciate it so much.
Anu
Hi Veena I totally love this page as you have some amazing recpies made so simple . I tried these linzer cookies and found them delicious . Only that they were so fragile that they fall apart . Am I doing something wrong .
Veena Azmanov
Yeah they are delicate – just have to be a little more careful with them but I like them like this – they just melt in the mouth.