These iced cherry almond linzer cookies are as pretty to have a look at as they’re to eat, and there’s no particular cookie adorning abilities required. You should use any small cookie cutters it’s important to lower the almond cookie dough into your alternative of shapes, and the filling is solely store-bought cherry preserves. These lovely sandwich cookies really style greatest on day 2, so that they’re an exquisite make-ahead vacation cookie possibility.
Between the cherry filling and the candy icing on high, the style and texture of those linzer cookies really make me assume I’m consuming a elaborate Pop-Tart! These nutty almond linzers are crunchy proper out of the oven, however after icing the highest and sandwiching jam within the heart, they start to melt. The magic occurs on day 2 when the icing and jam settle into the cookies, making the entire sandwich cookie tender, delicate, and deliciously crumbly.
Why You’ll Love These Iced Cherry Almond Linzer Cookies
- Spectacular & lovely, with out requiring particular adorning talent (not immediately, royal icing & piping ideas!)
- Flavors of almond and cherry pair so properly, similar to in these cherry pie bars
- Save time by utilizing store-bought cherry preserves/jam for the filling
- Simple 3-ingredient icing comes collectively in seconds
- Linzer cookie cutter set not required—you should utilize any small cookie cutters you’ve got
- Cookies’ style & texture are even higher the subsequent day, so it is a nice make-ahead cookie possibility
What Are Linzer Cookies?
Linzer cookies are historically produced from a nutty almond-based cookie dough. The dough is rolled out, lower into shapes, and baked… similar to sugar cookies. Then the cookies are sandwiched along with a filling, often a candy fruit jam. These festive, stained glass window-esque cookies are simply a number of the prettiest cookies round, particularly on vacation cookie trays.
Enjoyable reality: Linzer cookies originate from an Austrian deal with known as linzertorte, a kind of pastry stuffed with a fruit protect and topped with a lattice design.
I like linzer-style cookies, and have just a few varieties already printed together with raspberry pistachio linzer cookies and caramel hazelnut linzer cookies. When you’ve got a duplicate of my cookbook Sally’s Cookie Dependancy, you’ll discover a recipe for raspberry almond linzer cookies on web page 65.
Almond Linzer Cookie Dough
Right here’s what you must make these cookies:
You want complete almonds for this cookie dough, which you’ll grind down so they’re crushed. You don’t, nevertheless, need almond meal or almond flour as a result of each are too superb. You’ll be a lot happier with the ultimate cookie with the additional texture from the coarser items of nuts.
A small meals processor is useful for coarsely chopping the almonds:
I often use brown sugar in linzer-style cookies. At the moment, nevertheless, I selected common granulated sugar so it doesn’t take away from the almond and cherry flavors.
After that, the dough comes collectively simply with a stand mixer. Anticipate a thick, crumbly dough:
Refrigerate the Dough
Divide the dough in half. When you’ve got a meals scale, it helps to evenly divide the dough. When you don’t, nevertheless, that’s superb, too. Simply eyeball it. This dough weighs about 850g, so each bit ought to weigh about 425g.
Flatten each bit of dough right into a disc and tightly wrap in plastic wrap. Chill the 2 wrapped discs of dough for not less than 3 hours.
Just like this gingerbread cookie dough, when it first comes out of the fridge the dough will likely be actually onerous. Let it sit out for 10 minutes earlier than you begin to roll it out. While you first begin to roll it out, the sides could crack a bit, however as you’re employed it, the oils from the almonds launch a bit and it rapidly turns into extra workable.
Roll Out & Lower Shapes
I made a decision on a 3-inch tree-shaped cookie cutter (the smallest one from this set) for immediately’s iced almond cherry linzer cookies, however you can actually use any 2- to 3-inch cookie cutter for these. I like these fluted-edge cookie cutters for a extra basic linzer cookie look, which I take advantage of to make these raspberry pistachio linzer cookies and chocolate gingerbread sandwich cookies.
To make the cutout within the high cookie, so the filling reveals by way of, you want one other cookie cutter that’s actually small—about 1 inch. You’ll be able to merely make a spherical heart gap, however it appears to be like additional festive with just a little star or coronary heart form. For the pictured cookies, I used the star from this linzer Christmas cookie cutter set.
What If I Don’t Have a Tremendous Small Cookie Cutter for the Middle?
When you don’t have any cookie cutters that small, don’t fear! Attempt utilizing the tip of a straw to make a small spherical gap within the heart, or use a small paring knife to carve just a few tiny holes (which might seem like crimson ornaments on tree-shaped cookies!).
All of the cookies will likely be lower with the bigger cookie cutter, however solely HALF will likely be lower with the smaller one, for the highest cookies. So roll out your first disc of dough, leaving the opposite disc within the fridge for now. Lower out the cookies and bake. These are your backside cookies:
Then roll out your second disc of dough, lower out the cookies the identical means as earlier than, however then use the small cookie cutter to make the little cutout form within the heart of every cookie earlier than baking. These are your high cookies:
Assembling These Iced Cherry Almond Linzer Cookies
As soon as the cookies have baked and cooled, it’s time to ice, fill, and sandwich them.
Sometimes, linzer cookies get a reasonably dusting of confectioners’ sugar on high. However I needed one thing completely different right here, and almond icing is simply SO GOOD.
For the icing, you want confectioners’ sugar, just a little milk, and almond extract. You need the icing consistency to be semi-thick, so it’s not too runny. Dip every of the highest cookies into the icing, and let any extra drip off.
Set the iced high cookies apart to dry, and switch your consideration to the underside cookies.
For the filling, I used cherry preserves, however actually…any taste works. In case your cherry preserves are fairly chunky, you should utilize your small meals processor to present them just a few pulses and clean out the feel, which is what I did. Pureeing it an excessive amount of ends in a too-thin sauce, although, so go straightforward.
Unfold about 1/2 teaspoon of cherry preserves onto the underside aspect of every backside cookie, then gently place an iced high cookie on high to create a cookie sandwich. It’s superb if the icing hasn’t absolutely set but, simply maintain the cookies rigorously by the sides.
Let the assembled iced cherry almond linzer cookies sit out for just a few hours for the icing to set, after which you may stack and retailer them.
It positively takes a while to make and assemble these linzer cookies, however in case you love the look of cut-out cookie cutter cookies, and don’t wish to go to the difficulty of adorning, these are a incredible—and simply as lovely—various. Plus, once more, they’re like a fancied-up cherry pop-tart. 😉
Sally’s Cookie Palooza
This recipe is a part of my annual cookie countdown known as Sally’s Cookie Palooza. It’s the largest, most scrumptious occasion of the 12 months! Browse dozens of cookie recipes over on the Sally’s Cookie Palooza web page together with:
and listed below are 75+ Christmas cookies with all my greatest success guides & ideas.
Cherry Almond Linzer Cookies
Prep Time: 4 hours (consists of chilling)
Prepare dinner Time: 12 minutes
Complete Time: 4 hours, half-hour
Yield: 22–25 3-inch sandwich cookies
Class: Cookies
Methodology: Baking
Delicacies: American
Description
These iced cherry almond linzer cookies are as pretty to have a look at as they’re to eat, and there’s no particular cookie adorning abilities required. You should use any small cookie cutters it’s important to lower the almond cookie dough into your alternative of shapes, and the filling is solely store-bought cherry preserves. Take your time with these cookies, particularly when dealing with the dough and sandwiching the cookies collectively.
Directions
- Make the dough: Place the almonds in a meals processor. Pulse till the almonds are finely chopped, however not so finely that it’s turning into almond flour. See picture above for a visible.
- In a medium bowl, whisk collectively the chopped almonds, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt till mixed. Put aside.
- In a big bowl utilizing a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar collectively on excessive pace till utterly clean and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, and beat on excessive pace till mixed, about 1 minute. Scrape down the perimeters and up the underside of the bowl and beat once more as wanted to mix.
- Add the dry components to the moist components and blend on low pace till mixed. The dough will likely be thick and crumbly, and weigh about 850g.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal parts (about 425g every, or simply eyeball it), gently flatten into discs, and wrap every in plastic wrap. Chill the discs within the fridge for not less than 3 hours (and as much as 4 days).
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (At all times advisable for cookies.) Put aside.
- Lower out and bake the cookies: Take away 1 disc of chilled cookie dough from the fridge. After chilling, the dough will likely be very onerous. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes (or half-hour, if the dough chilled for longer than 3 hours) earlier than you attempt to roll it. Generously flour a piece floor, in addition to your fingers and the rolling pin. Roll out the disc to about 1/4-inch thickness. If the dough is cracking rather a lot when rolling out, wait just a few extra minutes for it to melt up a bit extra. The extra you’re employed with it, the softer and simpler to work with it would grow to be. Utilizing a 2-inch or 3-inch cookie cutter, lower dough into shapes. Re-roll the remaining dough and proceed slicing till all is used. Repeat with the second disc of dough. You must have about 44-60 cookies, relying on measurement of cookie cutter.
- Utilizing a small (1-inch) cookie cutter (see Observe in case you don’t have one), lower a gap into the middle of half of the cookies. Let’s name these the “high cookies,” and those and not using a gap the “backside cookies.”
- Organize the cookies 2 inches aside on lined baking sheets. Bake the cookies for about 11–12 minutes, or till frivolously browned across the edges. Enable cookies to chill on the baking sheets for five minutes, then switch to a wire rack to chill utterly earlier than assembling.
- Make the icing: In a small bowl, whisk/stir collectively (I often use a fork) confectioners’ sugar, 1 Tablespoon milk, and extract/s till clean. If the icing is just too thick to whisk, add just a little extra milk, a teaspoon at a time, till it reaches desired consistency. You wish to preserve it on the thicker aspect.
- Evenly dip the floor of every high cookie into the icing, and let any extra icing drip off. Place the iced high cookies on a wire rack or parchment paper. It’s okay if the icing shouldn’t be utterly set earlier than sandwiching the cookies.
- Assemble the cookies: Unfold about 1/2 teaspoon of cherry preserves on the underside aspect of every backside cookie. Rigorously high every backside cookie with a high iced cookie and press collectively very gently to create a cookie sandwich. Icing will set in just a few hours, so you may stack, retailer, transport, and present the cookies.
- Cookies will keep contemporary coated at room temperature for two days or within the fridge for as much as 1 week.
Notes
- Make Forward & Freezing Directions: You’ll be able to chill the cookie dough within the fridge for as much as 4 days (see step 5), however you can even freeze it for as much as 3 months. When you go for the latter, enable the dough to thaw in a single day within the fridge, then deliver to room temperature earlier than rolling out in step 7. See Find out how to Freeze Cookie Dough for extra info. Iced sandwich cookies freeze properly for as much as 3 months; thaw in a single day within the fridge and convey to room temperature earlier than serving.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): Meals Processor | Stand Mixer | Glass Mixing Bowls | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper Sheets | Rolling Pin | 2- to 3-inch cookie cutter, such because the small tree from this set, or this fluted-edge cookie cutter set | Linzer Christmas Cookie Cutter Set | Cooling Rack
- Almonds: I like utilizing salted roasted almonds on this dough, and I like to recommend them for extraordinary taste. When you solely have uncooked and/or unsalted almonds, that’s superb, too. An additional pinch of salt within the dough is nice in case you’re utilizing unsalted almonds.
- Cherry Filling: For the cookies pictured right here, I used the Bonne Maman model of cherry preserves, and gave it just a few pulses within the meals processor to clean out a number of the chunks. You’ll be able to actually use any preserves/jam in these cookies corresponding to raspberry, apricot, or strawberry. If what you’re utilizing is especially chunky, pulse just a few instances in a meals processor to clean out. Lemon curd can be scrumptious in linzer cookies!
- If You Don’t Have a Small Cookie Cutter for Middle: When you don’t have any cookie cutters for the middle (1-inch), don’t fear! Attempt utilizing the tip of a straw to make a small spherical gap within the heart, or use a small paring knife to carve just a few tiny holes (which might seem like crimson ornaments on tree-shaped cookies!).
- Can I Skip the Icing? Sure, completely. As an alternative of icing the highest cookies in steps 10 and 11, mud the cooled high cookies with 2 Tablespoons (16g) of confectioners’ sugar.
Key phrases: cherry almond linzer cookies
