Linzer cookies are a Christmas cookie plate classic that are based on the classic Austrian torte of the same name, which consists of a buttery, nutty dough topped with jam or preserves and then covered with lattice strips of the same base dough. These cookies are very similar, yet the dough is thinner and thus more crisp. The top cookie sports a small cutout in the center, which exposes the jam filling. For a nut whose flavor would really stand out, we chose hazelnuts. We upped the nuttiness even more by also adding a hint of almond extract to the dough. While black currant jam is a traditional filling for Austrian Linzertorte, we liked the bright flavor of raspberry jam with the buttery hazelnut cookie. Chilled butter gave us dough that was easy to work with and resulted in tender yet crisp cookies that complemented the soft jam center. Using confectioners’ sugar as the sole sweetener gave our cookies an extraordinarily tender texture and a fine crumb.
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup seedless raspberry jam
- ⅔ cup (2⅔ ounces) confectioners’ sugar
- ½ cup hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
- 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- Simmer jam in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thickened and reduced to ½ cup, about 10 minutes; let cool completely, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, process sugar and hazelnuts in food processor until hazelnuts are finely ground, about 20 seconds. Add flour, salt, and butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, 15 to 20 pulses. Add egg yolk, cream, vanilla, and almond extract and process until dough forms ball, about 20 seconds. Transfer dough to counter. Form dough into disk, wrap disk tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll dough ⅛ inch thick on counter. Using 2-inch fluted round cookie cutter, cut out rounds; space rounds ¾ inch apart on prepared sheets. Using smaller cutter, cut out centers of half of dough rounds. Gather and reroll scraps once. Bake until edges are lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Let cookies cool completely.
- Spread bottom of each solid cookie with 1 teaspoon jam, then top with cutout cookie, pressing lightly to adhere. Let cookies set before serving, about 30 minutes.