Named after the city of Linz, Linzer cookies share roots with the classic Linzer torte, a traditional Austrian dessert featuring a sweet, nutty shortbread base slathered in fruit jam and topped with a decorative lattice crust. These High Altitude Linzer Cookies are sort of mini versions of that treat, with a delicate dollop of jam sandwiched between two crisp-crumbly, buttery, almond-y cookies. Despite being fairly simple to make, they’re super-fancy looking, which of course is always a delight for us home bakers. I mostly think you should make them, though, because they’re ridiculously, crazy delicious.
I learned how to make these last holiday season, and they were far and away the most popular cookie in my cookie boxes (followed closely by my Dark Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread). Honestly, even without the filling, the cookies are addictive. Think of your favorite buttery shortbread, and now imagine it’s a little nutty-tasting (thanks to the almond flour), with just a hint of orange (courtesy of fresh zest). Add a little dollop of sweet-tart jam? You’ve got a flavor party.
This is a sticky dough that needs a good chill, so plan your timing accordingly on your baking day. I’ve found it to be the tiniest bit finicky to roll out. If it’s too cold, you’ll have to pound it with your rolling pin to get it going. If it’s too warm it will stick annoyingly to your surface. You’ll find your sweet spot, but it takes a bit of patience. Once the dough softens enough to roll out, resist the urge to use a ton of flour to keep it from sticking. Too much flour can toughen cookies, and we want to keep these nice and light. If your dough gets too warm, pop it back in the fridge for a few minutes and try again! Roll the dough 1/4 inch thick, or even a tad thinner since you’ll be sandwiching two cookies together.
I used a two-inch scalloped biscuit cutter (from this set) for the cookies, and mini cookie cutters for the “window” cutouts. This is a traditional shape for this type of cookie, but as always, I encourage reckless creativity, especially if you find yourself without the “right” cookie cutters. You can make them square or diamond-shaped or shotglass-sized or whatever you like. And the cutouts aren’t essential, although they’re so pretty that you don’t really want to skip that step, do you?
Once baked, the cookies need to cool completely before you dust the top halves with confectioner’s sugar. And! Be sure to sugar-dust your top cookies before adding the jam. If you try to add the sugar after assembling the sandwiches, you’ll end up sugaring over your pretty windows, which is just a bummer. Learned that one the hard way.
My hack for not covering my entire kitchen in powdered sugar, btw, is to place the cookies on a cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet and dusting them there. When you’re done, whisk the sheet straight into the sink for easy cleanup.
When it comes time to add your jam on the bottom cookies, start sparingly. If you add too much it can migrate to the edges of the cookies and squidge out the sides. I found the right amount to be around a teaspoon for cookies this size. Maybe a smidge more.
Regarding jam choices, you can choose any flavor you like. I’m partial to tarter versions such as cherry or lemon curd. Avoid runny varieties, which will soak through your cookies. Also, note that fruit spreads labeled “preserves” will have chunky bits of fruit in them that some may find unappealing as a cookie filling.
Each recipe makes about 30-35 cookies, give or take depending on your cutter size and cookie thickness. You might want to make a double batch, though, in order to keep up with the demand from your family and friends. Which I predict is going to be high.
Looking for more high-altitude holiday treats? Search no more:
- Dark Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread
- High Altitude Gingerbread Cookies
- Easy High Altitude Sugar Cookies
- High Altitude Orange Fig Thumbprints
- High Altitude Hot Cocoa Cookies
- High Altitude Peppermint Bark Brownies
High Altitude Linzer Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 mins, plus chilling
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Total Time: about 30 mins, plus chilling and cooling
- Yield: 30–35 sandwich cookies 1x
Description
These festive High Altitude Linzer Cookies are as delicious as they are beautiful, with nutty, citrus-scented flavor and a buttery melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract (not imitation)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar (for dusting)
- one or more flavors of jam*
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the AP flour, almond flour, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a medium mixing bowl if using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and granulated sugar until well-combined and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. Stir in the orange zest.
- On low speed, add the flour mixture just until combined. The dough will begin somewhat crumbly and eventually come together in big clumps.
- Divide the dough in half and form each half into a 1-inch thick disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove one disk from the refrigerator and allow to soften slightly, just until you can roll it out. If at any point your dough becomes too warm and sticky, gather it up and pop it back into the fridge for a few minutes.*
- Roll the dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Cut out your desired shapes, making cutout “windows” in half the cookies and leaving the other half solid. Collect any remaining dough scraps and re-roll.*
- Space cookies about an inch apart on your prepared sheet, then place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for a few minutes to allow the cookies to firm up (this helps avoid spreading and puffiness).
- Repeat with remaining dough.
- Bake cookies at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes each, until the sides are just barely turning golden around the edges (the tops will look slightly underdone which is what you want).
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire baking rack to cool completely.
- Once the cookies are completely cool, use a shaker or small sieve to dust the top (“window”) cookies with powdered sugar.*
- On a bottom cookies, dollop about a teaspoon of the jam of your choice and place a sugar-coated window cookie on top. Avoid adding too much jam as it has a tendency to migrate toward the edges of the cookies. Repeat with remaining cookies.
- Store cookies in an airtight container. If stacking cookies, place parchment paper in between each layer to avoid sticking.
Notes
… Beware of runny jams, which will soak through your cookies. Note also that “preserves” will have chunky bits of fruit which some may find unappealing as a filling, while “jam” or” jelly” is generally smoother.
… Avoid using copious amounts of flour to keep your dough from sticking, which can result in tough cookies. If your dough is too sticky, place it back in the refrigerator for a few minutes until it firms up.
… When dusting the top cookies with powdered sugar, you can avoid a giant mess by positioning the cookies on a cooling rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet, which will contain the fallout.
I love the gingerbread cookies and they turned out perfectly for me at 8800′. Thank you for sharing.
So happy you love them!
Oh MY, it looks great! Can’t wait to cook em this Sunday!