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Linzer Cookies

Prep
8 min
Bake
12 min
Total
20 min
Makes
25 pieces

Ingredients

Dough

  • ½ cup plus 1 tbsp70 gpowdered sugarVery finely ground sugar for icings and dusting. In the US use powdered sugar (confectioners' sugar); in the UK, icing sugar.
  • 1 stick plus 2 tbsp140 gunsalted buttersoftened. German butter is unsalted and has about 82 percent fat. In the US use unsalted butter (European-style unsalted butter is closest); in the UK, unsalted butter.
  • 1 ⅔ cups210 gall-purpose flourIn German recipes plain flour means soft wheat flour Type 405 unless stated otherwise. In the US use all-purpose flour; in the UK, plain flour.
  • 1large egg yolk
  • 1 pinchsalt
  • 2 tspvanilla sugar1 packet = 2 tsp (8 g). Sugar flavored with vanillin (artificial vanilla), sold in small packets of about 8 g. In the US use 1 tsp vanilla extract plus 2 tsp sugar for each 8 g packet; in the UK, vanilla sugar sachets, or 1 tsp vanilla extract plus 2 tsp sugar per sachet.
  • 1 pinchground cinnamona knife tip; or use Christmas cookie spice instead. Christmas cookie spice is a warm spice blend for Christmas cookies, similar to speculoos spice. In the US use pumpkin pie spice with a pinch of cardamom; in the UK, mixed spice with a pinch of cardamom.

Filling

  • jamsmooth, seedless. In everyday German any jam, not only citrus marmalade. In the US use jam or preserves (seedless if the recipe needs a smooth spread); in the UK, jam (seedless if the recipe needs a smooth spread).
  • hazelnut nougat (gianduja)German nougat is a soft hazelnut chocolate, not the white chewy nougat known in the US and UK. In the US and UK use gianduja; for fillings, chocolate hazelnut spread works but is softer.
  • ½ cup60 gpowdered sugar
  • 2 tsp10 mlheavy creamGerman cream for whipping has about 30 to 32 percent fat. In the US use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream; in the UK, whipping cream (double cream also works but whips faster, so watch it).
  • ½ tbsp10 gunsalted butter

Method

Dough

  1. Briefly mix the butter, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla sugar and cinnamon, then add the egg yolk.

  2. Add the flour and knead everything into a dough. Press the dough flat, cover it and chill it in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

  3. After chilling, knead the dough again with a little patience, but do not (!) let it get warm. Then roll it out on a lightly floured work surface and cut out the cookies.

  4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the cut-out cookies on it.

  5. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) convection (fan) and bake the cookies until golden. Then let them cool 100% on the baking sheet.

  6. Generously dust the tops with a little powdered sugar and set them on the bottoms.

Filling

  1. For the nougat filling, melt the hazelnut nougat and fill the cookies with it.

  2. For the jam filling, bring the jam to a rolling (!) boil for a good minute, then fill it into the cookies while it is still boiling hot.

  3. For the caramel, melt the powdered sugar little by little over medium heat, then stir in the cream and butter. It's best to use a long spoon, because the mixture can bubble up and steam a lot! Fill it into the cookies while it is still hot.

From German Pastry Chef. Full recipe with photos: germanpastrychef.com/recipes/linzer-cookies/