These Raspberry Linzer Cookies are buttery, lightly spiced shortbread sandwiches filled with raspberry jam and a dusting of icing sugar. They have the perfect amount of almond meal to make the texture so good, plus they're pretty and completely delicious. The perfect holiday cookie!
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Linzer cookies are inspired by the Austrian Linzertorte, a jam-filled almond pastry. My cookie version uses a no-spread sugar cookie base with almond meal and cinnamon. Just like my Speculaas Sugar Cookies, these hold their shape beautifully, bake evenly, and look fabulous with any shaped cutter. I have used a daisy cutter, but a heart or scalloped circle works just as well. Try filling them with Lemon Curd or Caramel Sauce for a delicious flavour variation.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- No-spread dough that keeps your cookie edges defined
- Buttery, almond flavour with a hint of cinnamon
- Make-ahead friendly: you can freeze the dough and bake when ready
- Pretty for Christmas boxes or holiday dessert trays
Recipe Ingredients
- Unsalted butter: High-quality butter gives a rich flavour and perfect texture.
- Caster sugar & cornflour: Sugar sweetens and lightens; cornflour helps stop the dough spreading.
- Egg & vanilla paste: Bind the dough and add flavour.
- Plain flour & almond meal: Flour for structure, almond meal for tenderness and nutty taste.
- Baking powder & salt: Lift and balance the dough.
- Ground cinnamon: Adds subtle warmth that complements the raspberry jam.
- Raspberry jam: Tart and fruity, it's the classic filling, but you can swap for apricot, lemon curd, or Nutella.
See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Linzer Cookies
- Step 1: Beat butter and caster sugar for 2 minutes until pale and creamy. Mix in egg and vanilla
- Step 2: Combine flour, almond meal, baking powder, cornflour, cinnamon and salt in a separate bowl.
- Step 3: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until a smooth dough forms.
- Step 4: Divide the dough in two, flatten into discs, then wrap tightly, and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Step 5: Roll between baking paper to 3-4 mm thick, freeze for 5-10 minutes, then cut 6-7 cm shapes with a cookie cutter.
- Step 6: Place cookie shapes onto your lined baking sheet, then cut smaller shapes from half of them, for the tops.
- Step 7: Bake at 160°C fan (180°C conventional) for 8-9 minutes, rotate, then bake another 2 minutes until the tops look dry but not browned. Cool 5 minutes on trays, transfer to wire racks. Dust the cut-out tops with icing sugar.
- Step 8: Spread 1-2 teaspoons raspberry jam on the base cookies.
- Step 9: Spread 1-2 teaspoons raspberry jam on the base cookies and sandwich with a top cookie.
Hint: Chilling and briefly freezing the rolled dough before cutting is the secret to sharp edges and perfect shapes. If the dough softens and is difficult to handle, pop it back in the freezer for a few minutes.
I love that I can make these ahead!
I freeze the baked cookies, then fill them right before Christmas"
Substitutions & Variations
Swap raspberry jam for apricot or strawberry
Make Nutella Linzer Cookies by filling with Nutella spread.
For a nut-free version, omit almond meal and add 2 tablespoons extra cornflour.
My favourite Linzer cookie cutter is a daisy, but try using a heart cutter for Valentine's heart Linzer Cookies, stars or trees for Christmas, pumpkins for Halloween Linzer Cookies, or simple circles for everyday.
Equipment
To make Traditional Linzer Cookies, I use the following:
2 baking sheets, 2 silicone mats or sheets of baking paper (silpat mats help reduce cookie spread), a daisy or fluted cookie cutter, and a small round cutter for the centres.
Storage
Unfilled cookies: Airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days. Freeze for up to 3 months
Assembled cookies: Best within 2-3 days, as they slightly soften over time
Dough: Freeze up to 3 months, thaw overnight in fridge
Raw cut-outs: Freeze flat, then layer between parchment and bake straight from frozen
Top Tip
Re-roll the dough no more than twice, as overworking the dough toughens the cookies. Use the offcuts to make tiny cookie shapes to enjoy with your coffee.
FAQ
They're delicate sandwich cookies inspired by Austria's Linzertorte. It's a nutty shortbread filled with jam and topped with a cut-out "window."
Yes. Omit the almond meal and replace it with 2 tablespoons extra cornflour. The flavour will be slightly different but still delicious.
About 1-2 teaspoons per base cookie. Too much jam can make the sandwich slide or soften too quickly.
Absolutely. Chill or freeze the dough, bake and store the unfilled cookies, then fill and dust the day you plan to serve.
Holiday Cookies
These cookie recipes are great for holiday gifting!
Linzer Cookies
Equipment
- 2 Silpat mats optional
- 1 Mini circle cutter
Ingredients
Cookies
- 170 grams Unsalted butter room temp
- 155 grams Caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 1 Egg Room temp. I use XL
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla paste
- 330 grams Plain flour (all purpose)
- 40 grams Almond meal
- ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt I use flaky salt
- 1 teaspoon Cornflour (corn starch)
- ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon powder
Assembly
- 120 grams Thick jam of choice
- 2 tablespoons Icing sugar to dust
Instructions
- In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter and caster sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy (2 minutes)
- Add egg and vanilla and beat again.
- In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
- Gradually add combined dry ingredients, while mixing on low until a soft dough just forms.
- Halve the dough, then then press each half into a disc. Wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours, or even overnight.
- Preheat oven to 180℃/350℉ and line 2 baking trays with baking paper or silpat mats.
- Roll the chilled dough between 2 sheets of baking paper to 3-4mm thick. Do one disc of dough at a time, then freeze the rolled out dough for 5 minutes (no longer). This will make the cut out shapes easier to handle.
- Cut shapes (hearts, scalloped circles, daisy etc.) from the dough and place onto the lined baking sheets, using an offset spatula to lift the shapes.
- Once on the baking sheets, use a small cutter to cut a centre hole in half of the cookies. Remove the hole (or bake for mini cookies)
- Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, turning after 8 minutes, if necessary, until the cookie tops look dry and very lightly golden.
- Cool on tray for 5 minutes, before cooling completely on a wire rack.
Assembly
- Dust the cut out tops with icing sugar
- Spread 1-2 teaspoons of jam onto the base cookies and sandwich together with the dusted tops.
- Store in an airtight container
Nutrition
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Sandra says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!