Chocolate Linzer Cookies 

These gorgeous and sophisticated holiday cookies will be the highlight of any dessert spread.  

Chocolate Linzer Cookies
Photo: Caitlin Bensel
Hands On Time:
40 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 45 mins
Yield:
20 cookies

The world-famous Linzer cookie is a close relation to the linzertorte, a pastry crust spread with jam and topped with a lattice crust that hails from Linz, Austria. In this striking cookie, cocoa powder flavors the dough and jewel-like jams peek through cookie cut-outs, adding a pop of bright flavor and color. This is a cookie that will shine on a dessert platter, and it's also an excellent option for a cookie decorating party. Play around with the cut-out shapes for both the base and the windows with circles, triangles, scalloped edges, or dreidel-shaped cutters.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for cutters

  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder

  • ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • Confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)

  • Jam or marmalade, for filling

Directions

  1. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Beat butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; continue beating on medium-high, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until incorporated, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, beating until dough comes together, about 1 minute. Divide dough into 2 equal balls; shape each into a disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.

  2. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper into a 9-by-8-inch rectangle (1/8 inch thick). Transfer dough, still sandwiched between parchment, to refrigerator. Chill until very firm, about 1 hour.

  3. Preheat oven to 350°F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line 2 large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Carefully peel away top sheets of parchment from dough and punch out cookies with a floured 2-inch round cutter. Cut out centers of half the cookies with a floured 1-inch round cutter. (Save centers to roll out with scraps.) Carefully transfer cookies to baking sheets.

  4. Bake cookies until edges are set, 7 to 10 minutes. Let cookies cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat rolling, cutting, chilling, and baking process with remaining dough scraps. Sift confectioners' sugar over cooled cut-out cookies, if desired. Spread 1 teaspoon jam or marmalade over each whole cookie and top with a cut-out cookie. Store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

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