Linzer Cookies
By Naperville Magazine
December 2025 View more Recipe
By Kelli Ra Anderson
Linzer cookies are as delicious as they are beautiful. A delicate almond shortbread filled with tart raspberry jam and powdered with snowy sugar, this dazzling little showstopper presents only one real challenge: patience. Heavy with butter, the dough benefits from a patient, gentle roll out and chill time. And once rolled, baked, and assembled, if the final cookies are allowed two days for the jam to further soften and infuse the crumb, they get even better. (And why this make-ahead recipe is ideal for our busy holiday season.)
Based on an Austrian Christmas tart recipe dating back to the early 1600s, linzers are endlessly versatile, able to transform shape and flavors to grace celebration tables throughout the calendar year. But whether kept traditional, or switching out the jam, spices, extracts, nut flours, or design shapes, this basic recipe is a time-tested favorite for a reason. It. Is. Fabulous.
INGREDIENTS
320 grams (2⅔ cups) flour
150 grams (1½ cups) almond flour
¾ teaspoons ground cinnamon (add ¼ teaspoon clove if desired)
½ teaspoon salt
340 grams (1½ cups) unsalted butter, softened
200 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
½ cup raspberry jam, strained
Powdered sugar for topping
PRO TIP: In baking, variables like humidity and inconsistent dry volume measurements can lead to irregular results like poor rise, dense crumb, and improper browning. Using a digital kitchen scale will eliminate guesswork and provide more reliable results.
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, nut flours, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Set this dry mixture aside.
2. In a stand mixer, cream together butter and granulated sugar until fluffy (3 minutes). Add yolks, vanilla, and almond extract and mix until smooth. Slowly add in the dry mixture until just combined.
3. Turn out the dough and form into a ball. Divide it equally (a scale works great) and wrap each half in plastic wrap, flattened into disks. Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour or overnight (these also freeze well for later use.)
4. On a floured board, rest a single disk of dough for about 3 minutes before dusting lightly with flour. Gently press with a rolling pin into a ⅛-inch round for the bottom cookie halves. (Note: Dough is prone to cracking—don’t worry, just go slowly. Press any cracks closed with a finger as needed. The rolling pin also may need to be occasionally dusted with flour to prevent sticking.)
5. Once the dough is rolled, use a 2-to-3-inch cookie-cutter shape to cut out the cookie bases. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator.
6. For the second disk, cut out the same number of shapes for the top cookies. Use a smaller cutout to create a center “window” for the jam. Place these cookie tops on a separate parchment-lined cookie sheet and chill.
7. Bake each sheet separately (the cookie tops will cook slightly faster), 8 to 12 minutes or until the cookies are slightly browned on the edges. Remove and let cool completely.
8. Use a fine-meshed sieve to remove any seeds from raspberry jam.
9. To assemble, flip over the base cookies so the flat side is up. Spread a very thin layer of the jam (about ½ teaspoon) to the edges, adding a small dollop in the center to fit through the center holes of the cookie tops. Sprinkle the cookie tops with powdered sugar before sandwiching the halves together. If you can, resist the urge to eat immediately—they are even better the next day as the jam the further softens the tender shortbread.
Photos: Kellira Media
