These sweet little cookies may just have made me the most proud I’ve been in the kitchen in some time now. When I say that I’ve been wanting to make linzer cookies for the past 7 Christmas seasons, I’m not kidding you. And with all that waiting came a lot of anticipation and high expectations for what these cookies should be. But they turned out just perfectly and met every one of those expectations.
While they look delicate and difficult, they are actually quite easy to put together, though involving a few steps that require some patience, as my cousin and I learned this past weekend while making them. You’ll make the dough and chill it for a few hours. Then roll, cut, bake, and cool completely. In the meantime, you’ll reduce some jam; I used seedless raspberry but any kind will work. While the jam is cooling, you’ll dust the cut-out cookies (we made hearts) with powdered sugar. When the jam has cooled, you’ll spread it on to the full cookies (the ones without the powdered sugar) and sandwich it with the sugared halves…and you’ve got these picture-perfect Christmas cookies! Like I said, they do require a few steps but they would be the perfect weekend baking project for a few friends or even for your kids or grandkids to help you with.
Oh, you want to know about how they taste? Well, think of the best light shortbread you’ve ever eaten, combine it with a tiny dollop of a reduced jam that is almost savory in comparison to the sugared linzer cookie, and you’ve got quite possibly the best Christmas cookie I’ve ever made..the cookie that all Christmas cookies will be judged against this year and maybe for years to come. That’s quite a cookie!
Pecan Linzer Cookies with Raspberry Filling
source: Martha Stewart Cookies
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 cup pecan halves, toasted (I omitted due to allergies but I’ve left the instructions anyway)
- 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, plus more for sprinkling
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
Instructions:
- Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl; set aside. Pulse pecans, confectioners’ sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a food processor until finely ground (but not wet); transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Add butter and granulated sugar; mix on medium speed until fluffy. Mix in vanilla and egg. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until combined. Halve dough; shape into disks. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out dough with a 2-inch fluted cutter. Cut out centers of half the squares with a 1/2-inch heart cutter; re-roll scraps. Space 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Chill dough on baking sheets for 5 minutes. Bake cookies and hearts until pale golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool.
- Meanwhile, heat jam in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced and thickened, about 7 minutes; let cool.
- Sprinkle cutout cookies with confectioners’ sugar. Spread jam onto uncut squares; top with cutout ones. Store in an airtight container up to 2 days.
Yields about 2 dozen sandwiches.
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Wohh – they look so gorgeous!
I have no doubt they’re delicious as well, especially with the rasberry jam
These are absolutely beautiful!
These are beautiful, Tara!
Such pretty cookies! I totally want to have a cookie party now and try these!
They came out perfectly!
These cookies are so stunning!!
These look amazing!!!!!!!
These are gorgeous, Tara!!
These look absolutely adorable!
I am so in love with this cookie. I tried to make them last Xmas and they flopped. The center cut out just melted and was all deformed. I’m going to bookmark you recipe and give it a go again this year. Yours are just perfect. Possibly I needed to chill the cut out dough before putting them into the oven.
Snippets: Yes – definitely chill them or even freeze them for a few minutes before baking. It really makes a big difference in how they bake up. The recipe wasn’t written that way though so don’t feel bad – it’s something I’ve learned along the way through trial and error.
So pretty! I love the color and how perfect they turned out!
I’ve always wanted to make linzer cookies, but just haven’t before. Maybe this will be the year! They are gorgeous!
Totally worth the patience of making them! They turned out beautifully! Buzzed
These are beautiful. I love the photo of the powdered sugar!
Love, love your blog! So creative! Mmmm…these look so good & so pretty too. Thanks for sharing, can’t wait to make them.
I finally found a linzer cookie cutter(I have looked for one forever) and made them for the first time this Xmas and they are so pretty and taste amazing! One of the prettiest cookies I have ever made!
I have been making these every Christmas since I found the recipe featured as a “cookie of the month” in “Living” magazine back in 2007. They are one of my most asked-for cookies. And your’re right….they are not difficult to make. At Christmas, I cut out a start shape instead of the heart.