Shortbread Linzer Tart Cookies Recipe – A gorgeous display of vibrant fruit preserves through a powdered shortbread cookie window. These cookies are delicious, and they have it all, subtly sweet shortbread cookies, tart fruit preserves, powdered sugar, and a design that is as elegant as it is edible.
If you’re looking for a delicious and impressive cookie recipe to wow your friends and family, look no further than these Shortbread Linzer Tart Cookies. They have a shortbread base and a fruit preserve center with powdered sugar, making them the perfect mix of sweet and tart. Plus, they’re really easy to make – anyone can do it! This simple recipe can be made for your sweetheart, your family, your children, or your friends, and they will all be fans of the complementary flavors of the sweet fruit with the rich brown sugar and almond shortbread.
Why You’ll Love These Linzer Cookies
- They can be cut into any shape for the maximum amount of creativity.
- You can use any type of jam or preserves you wish. You can do multiple different types so there is a flavor for everyone.
- They are elegant cookies that can be used for any occasion from anniversaries to holiday parties.
Equipment Needed To Make Linzer Tart Cookies
- Electric mixer with paddle attachment
- Medium mixing bowl
- Baking spatula
- Plastic wrap
- Parchment paper
- 2 baking sheets
- Rolling pin
- Cookie cutters (and mini ones)
Ingredients For Your Linzer Cookies
- Butter
- Brown Sugar & Powdered Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla & Almond Extract
- Salt
- Almond Flour & All-purpose Flour
- Fruit Preserves
How To Make Linzer Cookies
- Using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, add butter, powdered sugar, and brown sugar into the mixing bowl and blend well.
- Add in 1 egg yolk at a time, followed by the vanilla, and almond extract. Mix and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- While the mixers are on, slowly add in salt, almond flour, and all-purpose flour. Mix until the flour is well incorporated.
- Divide the dough into two portions. Shape each section into a 6-inch disk. Wrap each disk in 2 layers of plastic wrap and chill for 45-60 mins.
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Dust a clean countertop with flour. Remove 1 dough disc from the fridge and remove plastic wrap.
- Place the disk in the center of the floured surface and dust the tops with flour. Roll the to about ⅙ of an inch. Cut the dough into the desired shapes.
- Place the cookies on the prepared cookie sheets, place the cookies about 1 inch apart. Using a smaller cookie cutter, cut the center of half of the cookies.
- Chill the cookies for about 10 mins in the refrigerator before baking. Bake for 10-12 mins or until the cookie edges turn a slight golden brown color.
- Once the cookies are completely cool, dust the tops of the cookies with a layer of powdered sugar and set them aside.
- Spread a thin layer of jam over the solid cookies and cover with a top cookie, and enjoy!
What to Serve/Pair with Your Shortbread Linzer Cookies
A refreshing side to go with these tart and sweet cookies would be something that helps to deepen the flavors. A choice like dark chocolate-covered fruits such as banana or strawberries. Would elevate the tarty fruit flavors while deepening the vanilla and almond of the shortbread. This is a simple side but one that works well with this historic holiday cookie.
Popular Substitutions & Additions
- Addition – Cocoa Powder: A popular addition to this recipe is cocoa powder. By adding in a half-cup (or more if you want it to be really chocolatey) of the cocoa powder, you can turn this into a chocolate shortbread recipe that brings even more rich flavors to the classic Linzer tart cookies!
- Substitution – Gluten-free flour: You have two options for gluten-free replacements in this recipe. You can either redistribute and replace the all purpose flour in the recipe with all almond flour, or you can use this popular gluten-free brand, Bob’s Red Mill. This is a gluten free all purpose flour alternative that you can use with the same portions from the recipe.
How To Reheat & Store Linzer Cookies
The best way to store these cookies is in an airtight container, with parchment paper separating the cookies if you have multiple rows left. This way, the fruit will not stick to the other cookies.
They can last for up to 5 days if left on the counter at room temperature, but can last around 8 days if kept in the refrigerator.
Yes, you can freeze these Linzer cookies, and it extends their shelf life to upwards of a month! If you are pre-baking these for an occasion, you can store the cookie halves by themselves in the freezer. This way, when you want to assemble them, the preserve will not have a gummy consistency, and the powdered sugar will be fresh on top.
Due to the addition of the fruit preserves, it is hard to reheat these cookies. If you would like the cookies to be warm, then the best recommendation is to preheat the oven to around 325 degrees Fahrenheit and place them on a greased cookie sheet. They should be in there for only 2 to 3 minutes, checking them frequently to make sure the jam has not oozed out. It is best to do this after they have been frozen to reduce the chances of this. From here, you remove them, add more jam if you wish, and re-dust with powdered sugar.
Shortbread linzer cookies FAQs
While you may think of tea parties when you see these adorable cookies, they did not originate in England, rather they are from Austria. A holiday cookie that came about by using the extra dough made from the popular Linzer tart, it was brought to America with Austrian and German immigrants in the 1850s.
No, while you can use a regular cookie cutter for the base cookie shape, to cut out the window that will be used to fill with fruit preserves you will need a smaller shaped cookie cutter or a Linzer eye cutter, as they may be called.
Yes, you can absolutely make your own preserves with whatever flavors and fruits you would prefer. However, you have to remember that the preserves must remain thick in consistency so that they can stay put with the cookie and not spill out.
No, while they originated as a holiday cookie and are most popularly sold around that time, there is nothing stopping you from making them year-round. They have enough room for creativity that they can be used for many different occasions.
Other Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
- Copycat Dirt Cake Crumbl Cookie (Soft Chocolate Cake Cookie)
- Hot Chocolate Cookies With Jumbo Marshmallows
- Best Ever Oatmeal Raisin Cookies With Quick Oats!
- Soft Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Frosted Lemon Sour Cream Cookies
- Monster Cookies
Don’t Forget To Come Back And Let Me Know How Your Linzer Turned Out!
Linzer Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup fruit preserves, thick works best
Instructions
- Using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, add butter, powdered sugar, and brown sugar into the mixing bowl and blend well.
- Add in 1 egg yolk at a time, followed by the vanilla, and almond extract. Mix and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- While the mixers in on, slowly add in salt, almond flour, and all-purpose flour. Mix until the flour is well incorporated.
- Dived the dough into two portions. Shape each section into a 6-inch disk. Wrap each disk in 2 layers of plastic wrap and chill for 45-60 mins.
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Dust a clean countertop with flour. Remove 1 dough disc from the fridge and remove plastic wrap.
- Place the disk in the center of the floured surface and dust the tops with flour. Roll the to about ⅙ of an inch. Cut the dough into the desired shapes.
- Place the cookies on the prepared cookies sheets, place the cookies about 1 inch apart. Using a smaller cookie cutter, cut the center of half of the cookies.
- Chill the cookies for about 10 mins in the refrigerator before baking. Bake for 10-12 mins or until the cookie edges turn a slight golden brown color.
- Once the cookies are completely cool dust the cookies tops with a layer of powdered sugar and set them aside.
- Spread a thin layer of jam over the solid cookies and cover with a top cookie, and enjoy!
- Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
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