It's almost Christmas. People around the world are getting ready to hug their family and friends again, gather near the fireplace and once more enjoy this beautiful season. Hearts are full of joy. The smell of cinnamon and orange peels warms up the house. Mothers are baking dozens of cookies and family treats.  Chestnut roasting on an open fire, warm drinks, and family stories. Christmas magic is in the air.

Christmas season makes me think of my childhood and baking cookies with my mom and sisters. The perfume of vanilla powdered sugar, jars of homemade marmalade and our little sticky hands making sandwich cookies. One or two were always eaten during the making process, for the sake of quality testing. 😉

Linzer cookies are traditional Austrian desserts, usually made with almonds or hazelnuts, very soft and delicate. Topped with homemade marmalade, these cookies can stay fresh for days and even get better few days after the baking. For this specific recipe I used cornelian cherry marmalade that my mother makes every year, but you can use any kind of jam/marmalade you want. You can make them in advance and gift them to your family and friends for Christmas.

Scroll for the recipe and add Linzer cookies to your Christmas baking list.

Happy holidays! Make them unforgettable!

Austrian Linzer cookies
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 16

Prep.time:

Baking time:

1 large egg

115g unsalted butter

125g ground almonds

250g + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

100g light brown sugar @eridaniaitalia

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch of ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

powdered sugar for dusting

raspberry jam (I used cornelian cherry jam, but any kind of jam works fine)

METHOD

In a bowl mix together butter and sugar, and by using a hand mixer, beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until smooth, about 3 minutes.

In another bowl, mix ground almonds, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add to butter mixture and beat again with a hand mixer on low speed until combined. Form dough into two flattened disks, wrap each with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Have ready 2 baking paper sheets where you will place cookies. Also, you will need a fluted cookie cutter and one smaller cutter for cutting out the top of the cookies.
Roll out your dough (4-5 mm thickness) and cut cookies using a fluted cutter. With a smaller cookie cutter, cut the centers out of half of your cookies (you need an even number so you can make cookie sandwiches). Repeat rolling and cutting, until both pieces of your dough are used.

Bake until the edges are golden, 11-13 minutes, depending on your oven. Remove from oven, place on wire racks until completely cool. Lightly sift powdered sugar over the decorative tops; set aside. Spread a 1/2 tsp of jam on the bottoms of each cookie, and cover with the sugar-dusted tops. Enjoy!