Linzer Cookies
Raspberry Linzer Cookies are the perfect balance of shortbread cookies and bright raspberry filling! They’re not overly sweet and make the perfect edible gift for your loved ones during the festive season or even valentine’s day!
These scrumptious cookies aren’t just super cute, they’re easy to make too! The dough comes together in a jiffy and before you know it, you’re baking, sandwiching and gifting. People will be asking for the recipe as soon as they take their first bite into the buttery shortbread with delicious raspberry filling. By the way, the filling options are endless!
I used Raspberry Sauce for mine, and I have a great recipe here if you want to give it a go. The best thing about making your own filling is you can control the sugar levels so that your cookies aren’t too sweet.
Check the bottom of the post for more festive dessert recipes!
What are Raspberry Linzer Cookies?
I make these cookies at Christmas time and gift hem to friends, and they absolutely love them. They could not have raved more about them. So I’d have to say my favorite thing, apart from how delicious and fun to make they are is how much people really love the! But let’s break down the other things that I love about them!
- Shortbread cookie – the beauty about this shortbread cookie is that it’s so quick and easy to make. It comes together with ingredients you already have and my favorite thing is adding a little orange zest which helps brighten up the flavors. What you’re left with is a perfectly butter and spiced shortbread cookie that bakes perfectly golden and holds its shape.
- Fillings – the filling options are endless (list below) but I opted in for my Raspberry Sauce recipe which is not too sweet which makes these cookies so much more enjoyable!
Other fillings you can use!
Some of my favorites include
- Nutella
- Orange jam
- Melted chocolate
- White chocolate
- Ganache
- Raspberry Jam
Ingredients You Need To Make Raspberry Linzer Cookies
Note: the whole recipe, including the ingredient quantities, can be found at the bottom of this page – just scroll down to the bottom, or click the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of this post.
- All-purpose flour – also known as plain flour.
- Cinnamon – I used ground cinnamon.
- Nutmeg – you can use pre-ground, but fresh is way better.
- Cloves – I used ground.
- Baking powder – this helps lighten the cookies up a little.
- Salt -I used fine salt.
- Butter – make sure it’s softened. Unsalted too.
- Caster sugar – also known as superfine sugar. You can use granulated sugar, but caster sugar results in a nicer cookie crumb.
- Vanilla Extract – Always use good quality vanilla extract when baking, it makes a huge difference. I have a great recipe here for it if you’d like to try your own!
- Eggs – I used large eggs for this recipe. Using an egg yolk helps make these cookies a little more rich in flavor
- Orange – I added some zested orange in there for some added flavors. Totally optional but worth it.
- Powdered sugar – also known as icing sugar. This is used to make the cookies look even more decorative on top.
- Fillings – I used raspberry jam but Nutella is a great alternative too!
How to make Raspberry Linzer Cookies!
- Combine the dry ingredients together.
- Cream the butter and sugar together.
- Add the eggs and mix.
- Add the orange zest and mix.
- Add half the flour mixture and mix
- Then add the remaining and repeat.
- Split the dough in half.
- Roll out in between baking paper. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Cut out cookies.
- Cut shapes in half of the cookies.
- Bake for 8 minutes until golden. Allow to cool.
- Dust half the cookies with powdered sugar.
- Add raspberry sauce on half the cookies.
- Sandwich the cookies.
Tips and Tricks For Recipe Success!
- Rolling out excess dough helps you get even more cookies!
- Use fun mini cookie cutters to get cute little cut outs in your cookie tops.
- Dust your cookies before sandwiching them together so they don’t cover your jam window!
- Make sure you don’t skip chilling the dough. It makes cutting the cookies out so much easier!
- To avoid dry cookies, make sure you measure your flour using kitchen scales.
- Transfer your cut out cookies using an offset spatula. So much easier to do!
- Make sure you let your cookies cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar otherwise the warm cookies will cause the powdered sugar to melt.
Frequently Asked Questions about Raspberry Linzer Cookies
What do they taste like?
These are little shortbread cookies. But unlike shortbread cookies, once they’ve been sandwiched with jam, (any flavor you like) they soften after a day or two. So they’re like a melt in your mouth sweet but jammy cookie experience.
How do I store this?
Store them in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks in a cool dry place.
How to stop Linzer cookies from getting soggy
Make them the day you serve them! Honestly though, they don’t get soggy, they just soften and in my opinion, get even more delicious
Can you freeze these cookies?
Yep! Put the finished cookies in an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. You can even freeze the dough by wrapping it tightly in
Gave this a go? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and TikTok for more great recipes!
If you loved this recipe, check these out!
- Snowball Marshmallows
- Delightful Gingerbread Cookies
- Christmas Candy Cane Brookies
- Kourapiedes Greek Christmas Cookies
- Christmas Gingerbread Trifle
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @thescranline on Facebook and Instagram!
Raspberry Filled Linzer Cookies
My Linzer Cookies have a buttery crumb that melts in your mouth with a soft, sweet jam filling. The perfect holiday treat with a hint of spice.
Serves 20
Ingredients
Linzer Cookies
- 415 g all-purpose flour, plain flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 250 g unsalted butter, softened (see notes)
- 160 g caster sugar, see notes
- 1 large egg, 55g, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 orange, zested
- Powdered sugar to dust
- 150 g raspberry jam
Learn How To Make it! [VIDEO]
Instructions
Linzer Cookies
- Combine dry ingredients – To a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Use a whisk to combine.
- Cream butter and sugar – Add the softened butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Use an electric hand mixer to whip on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla extract and orange zest and mix until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients to form dough – Then add half the flour mixture and mix using the spatula. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until a dough forms. Split the dough into two and shape into balls.
- Rolling out the dough – Place half the dough on a piece of baking paper. Flatten slightly with your hands. Place another piece of baking paper on top, then use a rolling pin to roll out to 7mm / 1/4-inch in thickness. Place on your baking tray and place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
- Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180C / 355F (200C / 430F for no fan). You’ll need two large baking trays lined with baking paper for this recipe. I used half sheet baking trays.
- Cutting out your cookies – After chilling, cut the dough using a 6cm / 2 1/4-inch round cookie measuring cutter. Use a smaller cutter to cut out centers of half the cookies. Transfer them onto the lined baking trays. Work quickly because it’s easier to cut them out when they’re chilled.
- Bake cookies – Bake on the middle rack of your oven, one tray at a time for 10 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges. Turn the tray around halfway through the baking time so they bake evenly. Allow to cool completely before serving or decorating.
- Dust half the cookies with sugar – Place the cooled down cookies with a hole cut out on a cooling rack with a baking tray underneath. Dust them with powdered sugar. These will be the tops of your cookies.
- Sandwich with jam – Pipe or spread raspberry jam onto the flat side of the whole cookies. Place the powdered sugar-dusted cookies on top, pressing gently to form a sandwich.
Notes
Butter – you want your butter to be soft for this recipe so that it creams with the sugar properly. Softened butter should be firm enough that it holds its shape but yield gentle pressure when pressed gently with your finger. Room temperature method: you can do this by taking your butter out of the fridge and cutting into cubes. Let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour before using. Microwave method (quicker): cut into cubes and place in a heatproof bowl or plate. Microwave for 10 seconds at a time until it’s soft but firm enough to hold its shape with some resistance.
Re-rolling the dough scraps – You can re-roll the dough scraps to cut out more cookies. Just roll it, chill then cut out.
Caster sugar – also known as superfine sugar is a finer sugar used for bakes where you want a finer crumb. If you can’t find caster sugar, you can use granulated sugar.
Jam – If you prefer you can use other types of jam like apricot, strawberry or blackberry. Nutella works well too!
Can I roll the cookies out thicker or thinner?
Yes! You can roll them up to 1cm / 0.3-inches or as thin as you like. Thicker cookies will take a little longer to bake. Follow the same baking guide in the recipe. Bake until golden.
Storage – These Linzer Cookies can be stored in an airtight container, in a cool dry place for up to three weeks.
Nutrition – is an approximate and is based on per sandwiched cookie. This recipe makes 20 sandwiched cookies
A note on measurements – this recipe is offered in weight measurements. This is in an effort to offer the most accurate way to get the best results. Cup measurements simply aren’t accurate enough for a recipe that needs precise measurements and cup sizes differ depending on where you are in the world. Here is where you can learn more about how to measure ingredients using digital kitchen scales.
Nutrition
Calories : 177kcal
Carbonhydrates: 15g
Protein: 2g
Fat: 10g
Saturated Fat: 6g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g
Monounsaturated Fat : 3g
Trans Fat : 0.4g
Cholesterol: 42mg
Sodium: 46mg
Potassium : 50mg
Fiber: 1g
Sugar : 2g
Vitamin A: 324IU
Vitamin C: 3mg
Calcium: 18mg
Iron: 1mg
Nutrition Disclosure
Gave this recipe a go?Mention @thescranline or tag #thescranline!
previous post
8 comments
Hi, whats the amount of baking powder to use. Thanks.
Sorry just updated it! It’s 1/2 tsp 🙂 N x
These were absolute hit!
I’m so glad you loved them! I love making these every christmas as gifts! N x
These are soooo good! Cannot stop eating them and they are supposed to be present for my mother. Love them. Thank you! <3
Haha, that’s so funny! I’m glad you enjoyed them, might need to make extra next time! N x
Thank you immensely for putting the print recipe right at the top of the page – it’s so nice not to have to search it out. Means I can get my head around the recipe and then come back for the additional content if it is what I am looking for. Looking forward to having a burl at these some time soon.
Thanks Tallulah! Just keep in mind, most good blog sites (mine included) have a lot of useful information in the blog post related to the recipe 🙂