Festive Linzer Cookies
These Festive Linzer Cookies are soft, buttery and nutty, jelly (or jam) filled cookies that are perfect for the holiday season!
Servings 24 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup hazelnuts toasted
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup butter at room temperature
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- powdered sugar for dusting
- jelly or jam for the filling (your choice of flavour, see tips above)
Instructions
- First toast the hazelnuts in a 350 degree F oven for about 10 minutes, just until lightly toasted. Watch them carefully and stir occasionally, you don't want them to burn. Once done, let cool completely.1 cup hazelnuts
- In a bowl sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 3/4 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- Use a food processor to pulse the cooled toasted hazelnuts with 1/4 cup of the flour mixture, until fine. Then add remaining flour mixture and pulse.
- Add the butter and pulse once again until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs (see image above for reference).1 cup butter
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and use a fork to blend in the egg yolks and vanilla until the dough comes together.3 large egg yolks, 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Shape the dough into two disks, wrap in parchment paper, and let chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. NOTE: The reason for the 2 disks is so that the cookies can be made in 2 batches - I roll out and shape one disk, while the other disk of dough remains in the fridge to stay cool. Warm dough does not roll out well.
- Remove one disk from the fridge and roll it between two pieces of parchment paper to 1/8 inch thickness. If it's too stiff to roll, let it sit for a few minutes to warm up slightly.
- Leave the dough on the parchment paper and set it on a baking sheet. Refrigerate for another 30 minutes.
- Remove from the fridge and cut with cookie cutters, I like to use a star cutter, but you can use any shape you like. Cut out 48 star shapes with the medium cutter then place the cookies on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
- Now cut out the centres from 24 cookies using the small cutter. You can bake these small centre stars too!
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees F. (bake each cookie sheet separately)
- Remove from the oven and let cool.
- Dust the tops of the star shaped cookies with powdered sugar. Make sure to do this before placing the tops over the jelly covered bottoms.powdered sugar for dusting
- Spread the jam or jelly filling on the bottom cookie, then gently set the star cookie (with the cut out centre) on top. Don't press or it will break. TIP: I like to slightly warm up the jelly so it's easier to spread.jelly or jam for the filling
- Let sit for at least a couple of hours or even over night.