Serves
1 dozen cookies
Ingredients
To create the iconic Linzer cookie, you need two sizes of cookie cutters, one to cut the bottoms and the top cookies, and a smaller one to punch out the hole in the top cookie.
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup almond flour
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 cup raspberry jam or other jam, jelly, or spread you desire
Powdered sugar for dusting
Procedure
Preheat oven to 325°F.
1. To prepare the cookie dough: To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium-high until fluffy and pale. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg and vanilla bean paste. Beat well until smooth.
2. To a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and lemon zest.
3. Add all the dry ingredients at once mixing on a low speed until the dough just comes together.
4. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill until firm, 30 minutes.
5. Place chilled dough between two pieces of parchment paper and roll to a 1/8” thickness. Using a floured star cookie cutter, cut out as many stars as possible. Reroll dough to 1/8” and repeat. Using a smaller star cutter, punch out the centers of half of the cookies, these will be the sandwich cookie top.
6. Transfer cookies to a parchment lined sheet pan, spacing 1” apart and chill until firm.
7. To bake: Bake chilled cookies until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
8. To assemble the cookies: Spread a teaspoon of jam onto the flat side of the stars. Top with cut-out cookies, and dust liberally with powdered sugar.
