Linzer Cookies

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! Party cake / Feest cake Vanilla Jam Cupcakes Banana Bread

• Difficulty: Easy
• Category: Sweet

Ingredients

• 226 g Unsalted butter (room temperature/soft)
• 65 g Powdered sugar (plus some extra for decorating)
• 1 Egg yolk (large)
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cup Flour
• 215 g Raspberry jam (or jam of your choice)

Instructions

1. 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)!
2. 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.
3. 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 <i>can</i> do it straight away. Letting it chill will just make the rolling process easier!).
4. 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!
5. 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.
6. 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!
7. Once baked, take them out the oven and <b>let cool on the tray for 5 minutes</b>. This is important to let them set properly. Once the time is over, transfer to a cooling rack and let them cool completely.
8. 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.
9. Sprinkle over some powdered sugar over the top of the Linzer cookies to finish them off. Enjoy!