Name: Linzer Cookies with Spiced Jam
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 24
Cuisine: Cookies
Ingredients: 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened; 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 3 large egg yolks; 1 teaspoon lemon zest, finely grated; 1 1/4 cups hazelnuts with skin; 1 1/2 cups bread flour; 2 teaspoons cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves; Confectioners' sugar, for dusting; 3/4 cup seedless raspberry preserve; 1/4 teaspoon anise seeds, ground in a spice grinder; 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

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Linzer Cookies blend buttery hazelnut dough, warm spices and a fragrant raspberry filling to create an elegant holiday treat that feels as beautiful as it tastes.

Everyone loves filled cookies! It’s just two layers of cookies put together like a sandwich with jam.

They’ll quickly become some of your favorite Christmas Cookies Recipes!

Sneak a Peek Linzer Cookies with Spiced Jam Recipe | Mommy Evolution

These light and delicious Linzer Cookies with a spiced jam recipe will delight and surprise at how difficult they look, but they are really not that hard to make.

This dough freezes well for later preparation and you can keep it in the fridge for a day or two if you want to make the dough ahead and the cookies the following day.

Pistachio Cake is another deliciously beautiful holiday dessert.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
What To Serve with Linzer Cookies
History of Linzer Cookies
Linzer Cookies Ingredients
Kitchen Tools You’ll Need
How To Make Linzer Cookies
More Christmas Cookie Recipes

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

These Linzer Cookies offer a cozy blend of warm spices, nutty hazelnuts and raspberry jam that creates an irresistible holiday treat.

Nutty, aromatic dough: Ground hazelnuts, cinnamon and cloves give every bite rich flavor and tender texture.
Cozy spiced filling: Raspberry preserves mixed with anise and coriander add a warm, unexpected twist to the classic jam center.
Beautiful presentation: The cut-out tops dusted with powdered sugar create a stunning sandwich cookie that always impresses.
Make-ahead friendly: The chilled dough and separate baking of tops and bottoms make assembly easy and stress-free.
Perfect holiday tradition: These classic cookies bring together comforting flavors and festive charm.

This recipe delivers elegant, flavor-packed cookies that look as amazing as they taste.

What To Serve with Linzer Cookies

These Linzer Cookies pair beautifully with other cozy, festive treats that share similar warm flavors and holiday charm.

Hot Chocolate: The rich cocoa makes a smooth, creamy backdrop that highlights the nutty, spiced cookie flavors.
Mulled Cider: The warm spices in the cider echo the cinnamon and cloves in the cookies for a perfectly coordinated sip-and-bite combo.
Gingerbread Cookies: Their bold molasses spices complement the fruity jam and nutty hazelnut base without overpowering them.
Shortbread Cookies: Buttery shortbread offers a simple, mellow contrast to the brighter raspberry–spice filling in the Linzer Cookies.
Vanilla Pound Cake: Its soft vanilla sweetness balances the tart preserves and gives your dessert spread a gentle, crowd-pleasing option.
Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies: These mirror the fruity element in a simpler form, creating a cohesive theme for any cookie platter.
Spiced Apple Cake: The warm spices and tender apples tie in naturally with the cookie’s cinnamon and clove notes.
Peppermint Bark: The crisp peppermint adds a refreshing break between bites of the rich hazelnut cookies.

Each of these pairings complements the cookies’ warm spices, nutty richness and bright raspberry filling, creating a festive spread that feels inviting and well-balanced.

History of Linzer Cookies

Linzer cookies are a type of sandwich cookie with a sweet and buttery texture that originated in the city of Linz, Austria.

They are characterized by a delicate dough made with flour, butter, ground nuts (usually almonds), sugar, and spices such as cinnamon or vanilla.

The dough is then cut into rounds or other shapes and baked until crisp.

The Linzer cookie’s popularity spread throughout Europe in the 19th century, and they eventually made their way to the United States.

Today, they are often associated with the holiday season and are frequently made with a jam or fruit filling, typically raspberry or apricot, peeking out from the center of the two cookie layers.

While there are many variations of the recipe, the basic concept of the Linzer cookie has remained largely unchanged over the years.

Linzer Cookies Ingredients

Prep time: 30 minutes
Bake time: 15 minutes
Chill time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: About 24 sandwich cookies

butter
sugar
egg yolks
lemon zest
hazelnuts
flour
cinnamon
ground cloves
confectioners’ sugar

SPICED JAM FILLING INGREDIENTS:

seedless raspberry preserve
anise seeds, ground in a spice grinder
ground coriander

Before you get started, you’re going to want some of these kitchen tools on hand to make these cookies with a spiced jam recipe!

Sneak a Peek Cookies with Spiced Jam Recipe

Kitchen Tools You’ll Need

Here are the essential kitchen tools you need to make these classic Linzer Cookies with spiced raspberry filling.

Large mixing bowl: to cream together the butter, sugar, yolks, and lemon zest.
Hand mixer: for creaming and combining the dough.
Blender or food processor: to finely grind the hazelnuts.
Measuring cups and spoons: for accurate ingredient portions.
Plastic wrap: for chilling the dough.
Rolling pin: to roll out the chilled dough.
Large floured work surface: for rolling and shaping the cookies.
Two cookie sheets: to keep tops and bottoms separated while baking.
Cookie cutter (about 2 inches): to cut out the cookie shapes.
Small decorative cutter: to cut the center windows for the top cookies.
Spatula: to transfer cookies to baking sheets.
Cooling racks: to cool baked cookies evenly.
Small bowl: to mix the spiced jam filling.
Sifter or fine-mesh strainer: to dust confectioners’ sugar over the tops.

With these tools ready to go, you’ll breeze through the steps and create beautifully layered Linzer Cookies.

How To Make Linzer Cookies

Step 1: In large bowl, add the butter and granulated sugar.

Using a hand mixer set on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture is smooth.

Step 2: Add the egg yolks and lemon zest, mixing the ingredients until the yolks and zest are well incorporated.

Step 3: In a blender, add the hazelnuts and chop until the nuts are finely ground.

Add the bread flour, cinnamon, and cloves. Mix well.

Step 4: In the large bowl, add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture.

Mix on low speed until the nuts have been incorporated throughout the dough and the dough is smooth.

Step 5: Divide the dough into two portions and pat each portion into a circle.

Step 6: Cover each circle in plastic wrap and refrigerate until the dough has chilled for about 1 hour.

Step 7: Once the dough has chilled sufficiently, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Then lightly grease two cookie sheets, setting them aside.

Step 8: Lightly flour a large work surface and place the chilled dough on it.

Step 9: If you have room, roll out both chilled dough circles until they are each 1/4 inch thick. If not, work in batches.

Step 10: Using a cookie cutter that is about 2 inches wide, gently mark where the first row of cookies will go, making sure to place the cookies as close together as you can.

Cut out the first row of cookies. Continue cutting out the remainder of cookies following the spacing of the first row.

Remember that a finished cookie will consist of a top and a bottom cookie so think and work in pairs when possible.

Step 11: Use a small decorative cookie cutter to cut out the center of half the cookies. These will be the top cookies.

Step 12: Move all of the solid cookie bottoms to one prepared baking sheet, and move all of the cut-out cookie tops to a different baking sheet.

Step 13: Make sure the cookies are divided in this way because you will decorate the tops only and this will make it much easier. Refrigerate any unused dough.

Step 14: Place the cookie sheets on the upper and middle racks of the oven to bake for about 15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned.

Step 15: Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet.

Step 16: Once the cookies are cool, dust the cut-out top cookies with confectioners’ sugar.

SPICED JAM FILLING INSTRUCTIONS

In a small bowl, combine the raspberry preserves, ground anise, and coriander.

Mix well. Spoon the fruit filling onto the solid bottom cookies.

Cover the bottom cookies with the sugar-dusted top cookies to create the final product.

Repeat the process until you have used all of your dough and made as many cookies as possible.

Explore more Christmas cookie recipes that bring extra sweetness and festive fun to your holiday baking.

Linzer Cookies with Spiced Jam

Yield: 24

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Inactive Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Everyone loves filled cookies. These light and delicious cookies will delight and surprise at how difficult they look, but they are really not that hard to make. It's just two layers of cookies put together like a sandwich with jam. This dough freezes well for later preparation and you can keep it in the fridge for a day or two if you want to make the dough ahead and the cookies the following day.

Ingredients

COOKIE INGREDIENTS

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon lemon zest, finely grated
1 1/4 cups hazelnuts with skin
1 1/2 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

SPICED JAM FILLING INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup seedless raspberry preserve
1/4 teaspoon anise seeds, ground in a spice grinder
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

Instructions

In large bowl, add the butter and granulated sugar. Using a hand mixer set on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture is smooth.
Add the egg yolks and lemon zest, mixing the ingredients until the yolks and zest are well incorporated.
In a blender, add the hazelnuts and chop until the nuts are finely ground. Add the bread flour, cinnamon, and cloves. Mix well.
In the large bowl, add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the nuts have been incorporated throughout the dough and the dough is smooth.
Divide the dough into two portions and pat each portion into a circle.
Cover each circle in plastic wrap and refrigerate until the dough has chilled for about 1 hour.
Once the dough has chilled sufficiently, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then lightly grease two cookie sheets, setting them aside.
Lightly flour a large work surface and place the chilled dough on it.
If you have room, roll out both chilled dough circles until they are each 1/4 inch thick. If not, work in batches.
Using a cookie cutter that is about 2 inches wide, gently mark where the first row of cookies will go, making sure to place the cookies as close together as you can. Cut out the first row of cookies. Continue cutting out the remainder of cookies following the spacing of the first row. Remember that a finished cookie will consist of a top and a bottom cookie so think and work in pairs when possible.
Use a small decorative cookie cutter to cut out the center of half the cookies. These will be the top cookies.
Move all of the solid cookie bottoms to one prepared baking sheet, and move all of the cut-out cookie tops to a different baking sheet. Make sure the cookies are divided in this way because you will decorate the tops only and this will make it much easier. Refrigerate any unused dough.
Place the cookie sheets on the upper and middle racks of the oven to bake for about 15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet.
Once the cookies are cool, dust the cut-out top cookies with confectioners' sugar.

SPICED JAM FILLING INSTRUCTIONS

In a small bowl, combine the raspberry preserves, ground anise, and coriander. Mix well. Spoon the fruit filling onto the solid bottom cookies.
Cover the bottom cookies with the sugar-dusted top cookies to create the final product.
Repeat the process until you have used all of your dough and made as many cookies as possible.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 197Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 10mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 2gSugar: 9gProtein: 5g

Nutrient values are only estimates provided by online calculators. Various factors can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.

For more Christmas cookie inspiration!

Taste of Home Christmas Cookies Mini Binder: 100+ Sweets for a Simply Magical Holiday Christmas Baking: Festive Cookies, Candies, Cakes, Breads, and Snacks to Bring Comfort and Joy to Your Holiday The Easy Christmas Cookie Cookbook: 60+ Recipes to Bake for the Holidays Baking for the Holidays: 50+ Treats for a Festive Season

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