Description
Delight in these classic Raspberry Linzer Cookies, featuring a tender buttery dough filled with sweet and tangy raspberry jam. Their delicate cut-out design dusted with icing sugar makes them perfect for festive occasions or anytime you crave a homemade treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup icing sugar, sifted
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- Extra flour to roll out the dough
Filling & Topping
- ½ cup Italian raspberry jam
- Extra icing sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 325°F (163°C) and prepare baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.
- Make Dough: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the room temperature butter, sifted icing sugar, salt, and vanilla extract until the mixture is light and fluffy, which usually takes about 3 minutes.
- Add Flour: Gradually add the sifted all-purpose flour to the butter mixture and mix just until combined. A dough ball will begin to form in the mixer bowl.
- Knead Dough: Remove the dough from the mixer and knead gently by hand for about 1 minute until a smooth ball forms. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.
- Chill Dough: Refrigerate the wrapped dough for at least 30 minutes to firm up, making it easier to roll out and cut.
- Roll Out Dough: Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll the dough to a thickness of ¼ inch. If the dough becomes sticky, sprinkle additional flour as needed.
- Cut Cookies: Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out cookies from the dough. On half of the cookies, use a smaller 1½-inch Christmas-themed cookie cutter (such as a tree) to cut out shapes in the center.
- Arrange and Bake: Place the whole cookies and the cut-out rings on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake on the middle and lower racks, rotating and swapping pans halfway through, for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges turn a light golden color.
- Cool Cookies: Remove the baked cookies from the oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack before assembling.
- Assemble Cookies: Spread a thin layer of raspberry jam onto the bottom side of each whole cookie. Dust the top (cutout) cookies with icing sugar, then sandwich them over the jam-spread cookies, icing sugar side up.
Notes
- Use butter at room temperature for smooth mixing and tender dough.
- Sift the flour to avoid lumps and ensure the dough comes together well.
- You can customize the cutout shape; stars, candy canes, or hearts work well too.
- Work quickly when rolling and cutting since the dough softens due to high butter content; add flour to prevent sticking.
- Jam flavors can be swapped as desired—strawberry, fig, apricot, or cherry all make excellent fillings.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 80mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 23g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
