Linzer Tart Cookies

These classic Linzer tart cookies are rich and buttery, with a zesty hint of lemon and a sweet jam center. You can bake them using traditional flour or a gluten-free alternative either way, they turn out amazing.

Ingredients

Instructions

Make the dough:

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, almond flour and salt. Set aside.
2 1/2 cups (312 grams) flour, 1 cup (100 grams) almond flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and powdered sugar at medium speed until well combined.
1 cup (255 grams) unsalted butter, 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar
Turn the speed down to low and add the egg yolks, vanilla extract, lemon extract and zest and water. Beat on low until combined.
2 large egg yolks, 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon water
Gradually add the flour mix in on low and continue beating on low, just until combined.
Divide the dough into two halves (415 grams each) and wrap each one into a disc.
Chill for 2 hours or up to 3 days. The dough is easier to work with if you let it chill 8+ hours.

Bake the cookies:

Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C).
Line a large cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
Roll one of the discs out onto a non-floured piece of parchment paper. You can place either plastic wrap (that the piece the disc was rolled in) or parchment paper on top of the dough to create a barrier between the dough and the rolling pin.
Roll the dough out to be about 1/8” (.3 cm) thick.
Use a round cookie cutter (mine was 2.25” (5.7 cm) to cut out solid circles and circles with a cut-out (you want the same number of both). The disc of dough was 415 grams and each set of circle + circle with a cut-out was 29 grams, so with this disc of dough, you should be able to make 14 Linzer cookies (so that’s 14 solid circles + 14 circles with a cut-out).
If the dough is easy to work with, you can already transfer the circles on the parchment-lined cookie sheet. They only spread a tiny amount so they can be pretty close together. If it’s at all sticky, place the piece of parchment paper and the rolled-out dough onto a baking sheet and place in the fridge for about 20 minutes to firm up again, or place in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Then transfer to the baking sheet.
Bake for 7-10 minutes or until the edges have very lightly browned.
Let cool for about 10 minutes on the cookie sheet, and then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. Let cool completely, another 20-30 minutes. They can’t be warm at all or the powdered sugar will dissolve.
Roll out the rest of the dough from the first disc and bake the rest of those cookies. You’ll probably need to chill the dough since it’s been sitting out for a bit.
Then do the other disc of dough.

Assemble the cookies:

At this point, everyone else dusts the tops of the cut-out cookies with powdered sugar. But then you have to be very, very careful handling the cookies so you don't mess up the powdered sugar. I tested out dusting the whole assembled cookie with powdered sugar and the powdered sugar immediately dissolved on top of the jam, and you couldn’t see it at all. I suggest experimenting with both methods and seeing which one you prefer.
Spread about 1 1/2 teaspoons of strawberry preserves into the center of one of the circles. You can do as little as 1/2 teaspoon, if you prefer. You have to be careful with them because they break easily.
up to 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons jam or preserves
Carefully top with one of the cut-out cookies.
They’re crumbly at this point, but if you refrigerate them for 8+ hours, the cookies absorb some of the preserves and become chewy. The powdered sugar remained perfect looking.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. If you know you're going to freeze them, add the powered sugar only after defrosting.

Notes