Linzer star sandwich cookies are buttery almond cut-outs with a cut-out star window, joined with raspberry jam and dusted with powdered sugar. That makes them the prettiest Christmas cookie on a plate, and a strong gift tin choice. Makes two and a half to three dozen 1 1/2-inch cookies.
Press the dough flat between floured wax paper before it goes anywhere near the fridge, and bring out one sheet at a time. There are two and a half sticks of butter and no egg in here, so warm dough tears instead of cutting cleanly.
A whole cup of jam is far more than you will use. At a quarter to half a teaspoon a sandwich, a cup would fill between 96 and 192 of them. This batch gives at most 36 cookies, so a quarter cup covers it.
Linzer Star Sandwich Cookies
Course: DessertCuisine: Austrian, AmericanDifficulty: Medium4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalButter whipped with sugar and bound with flour, ground almonds and warm spice, pressed thin between wax paper and chilled. Stars are cut, windows punched from half, and the pairs joined with warm jam.
Ingredients
- For the Cookies:
2 1/2 sticks lightly salted butter, plus more for greasing the baking sheet
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1/2 cup slivered almonds, ground
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- To Fill and Finish:
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam, or up to 1 cup if you double the batch
Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
Directions
- Cream the butter: Whip the butter in an electric mixer until smooth, add the granulated sugar and beat 5 to 8 minutes, until light and fluffy. In another bowl combine the flour, ground almonds, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Roll between wax paper: Lay three large sheets of wax paper out and dust each with flour. Fold the flour mixture into the butter with a spatula, then divide the dough across the three sheets. Dust again, lay a second sheet on top of each and press each one thin with your hands.
- Chill the sheets: Refrigerate all three dough sheets at least 10 minutes, until firm. Take out one at a time and work quickly, because this dough carries a lot of butter and softens fast.
- Cut the stars: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut as many 1 1/2 inch stars as you can from the first sheet and lay them on a greased baking sheet, keeping the scraps chilled. Repeat with the other sheets, then cut a smaller star window from the center of half of all the cookies.
- Bake and fill: Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned, and cool the cookies a few minutes on the trays before moving them. Bring the jam to a light simmer, let it cool slightly, then spoon 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon onto each solid cookie and set a window star on top. Dust with powdered sugar.
Notes
- The jam quantity is far too high. One cup is 48 teaspoons, which at 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon a sandwich would fill 96 to 192 of them. The yield says cookies, not sandwiches, so three dozen cookies makes eighteen finished pairs.
FAQs
Is that 36 cookies or 36 sandwiches?
The page says cookies, and half of them get a window cut out to become tops, so three dozen cookies is eighteen finished sandwiches. The calorie figure suggests the kitchen counted sandwiches. Cut a test sheet and count before you plan a party around it.
Why simmer the jam first?
Heating drives off water and loosens the jam so it spreads in a thin even layer instead of sitting in a lump. It also sets firmer once cool, which stops the cookie going soggy underneath. Let it cool slightly before you spoon it.
Why lightly salted butter?
It is the only salt in the recipe, since nothing else in the list contributes any. Using unsalted butter instead leaves the cookies tasting flat against all that jam. Add a quarter teaspoon of fine salt to the flour if unsalted is all you have.
Do I need a Linzer cutter set?
Two plain cutters work, a 1 1/2-inch star for the cookie and something much smaller for the window. A piping tip makes a neat round window if you have no tiny cutter. The same two cutter trick shapes these Linzer doily wreaths.
How long do they keep?
Three days once filled, because the jam softens the cookie from inside. Unfilled they hold two weeks in a tin, so bake ahead and assemble on the day. That is the same plan that works for Viennese whirls.
