Raspberry Almond Linzer Cookies
These heart-shaped almond cookies sandwiched with raspberry jam make such a beautiful treat!
Ingredients
- 1 cup slivered almonds , OR 1 cup (95 grams) almond flour
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter , softened to room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 large egg
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Powdered sugar , for dusting
- ½ cup seedless raspberry jam , see Notes
Instructions
- Pulse nut in a food processor until finely ground. If using almond flour, skip this step.
- Combine almonds with flour, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, almond extract, and lemon zest and mix until combined.
- Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to several days. You can also double wrap and store in the freezer for a month or more.
- When ready to make the cookies, preheat oven to 350° F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Let the dough disk rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes. On a floured surface, roll out to ¼ inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut dough into hearts or other desired shape. Use smaller cookie cutters to cut small "windows" into half of the cookies (this is where the jam will show through in the finished cookies).
- Place cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. It's best to bake the cookies with the windows and those without on separate sheet pans for even baking. The ones with the windows will need slightly less time. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until edges just start to turn golden brown. Do not over bake.
- Let the cookies cool on a wire rack completely. Meanwhile, gently warm the raspberry jam if needed over low heat to a spreadable, lump-free consistency (if your jam is thin enough you can skip this step).
- Once the cookies are cooled, use a fine mesh strainer to sprinkle the top cookies (the ones with the windows) evenly with powdered sugar. Turn the bottom cookies over and pour a spoonful of jam onto each cookie, spreading it evenly. Careful not to smudge the powdered sugar, place a top cookie on top of the jam and press lightly to sandwich together.
- These cookies look their best served right away, but will keep in an airtight container on the counter for several days.
Video
Notes
- Slivered almonds are preferred because the almond skins have been removed. Once ground, the almond meal is pale and very evenly finely ground.
- To remove seeds from jam, warm over low heat to thin it out. Then pass through mesh strainer and discard seeds.
- Adapted from Joy of Baking. This recipe was originally published February 2018.
Nutrition
Calories: 412kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 61mg | Potassium: 43mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 493IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 2mg