Cranberry Orange Linzer Cookies
Yield: 24 cookies
Calories: 163kcal
Light and buttery almond flavored Linzer cookies recipe filled with homemade cranberry orange jam. These beautiful cookie sandwiches are wonderful for sharing during the holidays.
Ingredients
Linzer Cookies
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- ½ cup (99 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (113 g) powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) cinnamon, ground
- 1 teaspoon (3 g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (1 g) kosher salt
- 1 cup (106 g) almond flour, or meal
- 2 ¼ cups (320 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup (240 ml) cranberry orange jam, or other pre-made jam
Cranberry Orange Jam
- 12 ounces (340 g) fresh cranberries, (1 package)
- ¾ cup (149 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange zest, freshly grated
- ½ cup (120 ml) orange juice, fresh, about 2 medium oranges
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water
Special Equipment
Instructions
- Make the Dough - Using the paddle attachment on the mixer, cream the butter, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt on medium-low speed for about 30 to 45 seconds.On low speed, mix in the almond flour or meal, flour, and egg. Mix for about 1 minute until the mixture comes together in a ball. Do not over-mix.
- Chill the Dough - Divide the dough in half, shape it into a 1" round flat disc, wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Make Cranberry Jam - Combine cranberries, sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until most of the cranberries pop and the mixture has thickened. Taste and add more sugar if desired.Pour the jam into a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and scrape to separate the pulp from the skins. Discard the skin and chill the strained jam.
- Preheat the Oven - Set the oven rack to the center position. Preheat to 375ºF (191ºC). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll the Dough - Remove the chilled dough from the fridge. Allow it to come to room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes, until the dough is cool and pliable and doesn’t crack when rolled.Place one of the dough pieces in between two pieces of parchment paper. Roll the dough 1/8" thick.
- Cut Out Shapes - Cut the dough into shapes with large cookie cutters. Use small cutters to cut a design out of the center of half the cookies. I used a 2 ½" large cutter and 1 to 1 ½" small cutter. Save excess dough, form another disc, wrap and chill.
- Bake the Cookies - Transfer the cookies to the baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned on the edges. Remove from the oven, and cool on the tray for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.Allow cookies to cool fully before filling. Repeat the process with the second portion of dough and any excess dough.
- Fill the Cookies - Lightly dust the cookies with cutout centers with confectioners’ sugar. Spread the bottom cookies with about 1 tablespoon of jam. Add more if you want the filling to reach the edges of the cookie.Place a cutout cookie on top of each filled cookie and lightly press down to seal.
Notes
- Recipe Yield: 24 cookies, 32 if using the excess dough.
- Using Almond Meal: Sift enough through a fine-mesh strainer to yield 1 cup. Remove as much brown skin as possible.
- Make Ahead: Cookie dough can be made two days in advance or frozen for up to 1 month. The cookies can be baked the day before, stored at room temperature in an airtight container, or frozen for 2 months. Cranberry jam can be made 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
- Storing: Store jam-filled cookies for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Calories: 163kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 65mg | Potassium: 44mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 100IU | Vitamin C: 2.5mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 0.7mg
Recipe Link