It’s that time of year again. The day where a little extra love spreading is completely warranted. Or at least that is how I feel. I know that you can do this at any time (and trust me, I do), but I really do enjoy going a little bit extra for Valentine’s day. And what better way to celebrate than with these Linzer cookies. I adore making cookies, and these are super simple and delicious! Beautifully crumbly biscuit with a yummy jam filling. They are perfect! What’s more, you can make them in any shape you want. However, seeing how it is Valentine’s day, I always enjoy making my Linzer cookies into hearts!
The type of jam
I have experimented with the type of jam that I use for my cookies quite a lot. From the simple and classic strawberry jam to more exotic variants like gooseberry jam or even banana jam (yes. it exists, and it’s delicious!). However, seeing how I am a sucker for fanatic for raspberry, that tends to be the type of jam that I choose. The other question when it comes to jam is, do you select one with bits in – yes or no? Personally, I prefer jam without the bits for these Linzer cookies, but then I tend to prefer jam without bits in! But selecting a jam with bits in won’t ruin how these turn out. It’s all down to personal preference.
Equipment I use
The equipment I use is really simple and makes these Linzer cookies super fast. I use my forever trusty SMEG Kitchen Machine, but you can always opt for a hand mixer instead. If you have neither of these things, a bit of elbow grease with a hand whisk will do the job just as well. You need speed in order to cream the ingredients at the beginning! Apart from that, a bowl is helpful, a tray to put the Linzer cookies on and baking paper. Having a heart-shaped cookie cutter would also be a big bonus here, but you can always create your own cut-up love heart to cut around!
If you enjoy these Linzer cookies, you can check out my other sweet recipes here, or try these other tasty treats below!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 165°c (325°f). Line a baking tray with baking paper and put it to the side. (Note: If making these after chilling, you can pre-heat oven during then instead)!
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In a mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream together the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk and vanilla and mix until fully combined, scraping down the sides as needed.
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In the same bowl, add flour and salt and mix until fully combined. Cover the dough with clingfilm and let chill in the fridge for 30 - 1 hour (however, you can do it straight away. Letting it chill will just make the rolling process easier!).
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On a floured surface, roll out the cookie dough with a rolling pin until about 1/ 8th of an inch thick. Measuring this against your pinky finger works well. Up to about the middle should be fine!
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Start cutting out the Linzer heart cookies! With a 2 1 /2 inch cookie cutter and line them up on a baking tray. Use a smaller cookie cutter to cut out hearts from half the cookies. That is important for later.
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Place in oven and bake for 10 - 13 minutes until edges are nice and lightly golden brown. These Linzer cookies do not get super light brown, so don’t worry if they don’t look overly cooked. They are fine!
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Once baked, take them out the oven and let cool on the tray for 5 minutes. This is important to let them set properly. Once the time is over, transfer to a cooling rack and let them cool completely.
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When the cookies have fully cooled, on the flat side of the Linzer cookies with no hole, spread some jam on them. Then place the cookie with the hole (flat-side facing towards the jam) on top of the jammed cookie.
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Sprinkle over some powdered sugar over the top of the Linzer cookies to finish them off. Enjoy!
