Linzer Cookies
I have to be honest here. I’m not much of a cookie man. However I wouldn’t pass one up, especially a Linzer cookie.
What I like about Linzer cookies is that they are somewhat cake-like. In that there is a layer of filling sandwiched between two layers of crumbly, melt in you mouth, almond cookies. You can substitute all flour or other nut flour for the almond flour to suit your taste. Or you can try different variations of nut flours and jams. Dip or pipe chocolate over them. Don’t limit yourself, explore!
Method: Creaming
Mixing Time and Speed: 6 to 8 minutes at speed 2
Quantity: about 24 – 3-inch cookies
Oven Temperature and Cooking Time: 350ºF for about 12 minutes
Equipment
Scale or measuring cups and spoons
Timer
Mixing bowl with a paddle
Plastic wrap
Rolling pin
2 cookie cutters 1 about 3 to 4 times larger than the smaller one
Parchment lined cookie sheets
Ingredients
1 cup Butter
3/4 cup Sugar
1 Egg
1/4 tsp. Vanilla
1 cup Almond flour
2 1/2 cups Cake flour
1 1/2 tbsp. Cinnamon
Lemon zest from one lemon
Procedure:
Cream the butter and sugar.
Add the egg, vanilla and lemon zest. Mix until incorporated.
Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in stages. Mix until the dough comes together.
Transfer the dough to plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
Remove dough from refrigerator. Working with half the dough at a time, roll it out to about ¼ inch thick. Cut out cookies using the largest cookie cutter. Be sure to cut out an even amount of cookies, one for the top and one for the bottom. Now with the smallest cutter cut out the centers from half of the cookies. Remove the excess dough and combine with the rest of the scraps. Refrigerate again if necessary.
Repeat this process until you have used up all the dough.
Bake the cookies at 350°F for about 12 minutes.
Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.
Using a piping bag, pipe out enough jam to fill each cookie. Leaving about a ¼ inch from outer edge so the jam does not spill out the sides.
Sprinkle the top cookies with powdered sugar. Holding the cookie top on the outer edge, place it on top of the jam filling and press down slightly.
Allow them to dry out slightly before putting them away.
