Raspberry Linzer Cookies
Raspberry Linzer Cookies are the perfect little cookie – Tender almond cookie dough sandwiched with raspberry preserves. Just a hint of rum gives the cookie a special flavor.
Table of contents
The Best Raspberry Linzer Cookies
This is the recipe that inspired me to start a home baking blog. I served these raspberry Linzer cookies at a couple of get-togethers a few years ago. I got so many questions such as, “Why do these taste so good?” and “How do you make these?”.
There are plenty of Raspberry Linzer Cookie recipes available in the internet, but I realized that after 30+ years as a professional baker I’d learned quite a bit about what makes a recipe a good recipe.
When I create a recipe I thoughtfully choose the ingredients, then I test, test again and make adjustments as I go. The final recipe is a result of carefully chosen ingredients, each in the proper amount, for the best cookie possible.
Read through the ingredient notes for a deeper understanding of this recipe.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- All Purpose Flour – Medium protein flour makes a cookie that will keep its shape as it bakes but does not become tough. It’s the perfect foundation for Linzer cookie dough.
- Almond Flour – Linzers always start from a nut-based dough. Almond flour is easy to find and has a fairly neutral flavor that works with the raspberry filling. There’s just enough almond flour to flavor and tenderize the cookie.
- Powdered Sugar – Compared to granulated sugar, powdered sugar more readily absorbs moisture in the dough. The result is a thin and crisp texture. The moisture absorbing sugar also keeps cookies crisp longer after baking.
- Butter – I always use unsalted butter for baking. If you use salted butter eliminate the salt listed in the recipe.
- Yolks – Using yolks instead of whole eggs makes a richer, crisper and more tender cookie.
- Baking Soda – Just a smidge of baking soda slows down the baking so the cookies have time to spread evenly in the oven. The soda helps create a flat and crisp texture that is perfect for this cookie.
- Salt, Cinnamon – For flavor.
- Rum – You won’t taste the rum but a little alcohol enhances other flavors.
- Raspberry Preserves – Use seedless raspberry preserves.
How to make Raspberry Linzer Cookies
See the recipe card for detailed measurements and instructions.
- Cream the butter with the powdered sugar.
- Add the almond flour.
- Add the yolks and mix to combine.
- Add the flour and mix just until the flour is incorporated. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead to bring it together. Split the dough in half.
- Wrap each piece of dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm. At this point the dough can be frozen for up to a month.
- Roll one piece of dough and cut the cookie bottoms. Roll the other piece of dough and cut the cookie tops. Knead and re-roll the scraps until all the dough is used and you have an even number of tops and bottoms.
- Line the cookies onto parchment lined baking sheets
- To promote even baking, bake the tops and bottoms on separate sheets. The tops will bake faster.
- Bake until the cookies are lightly brown around the edges and the dough is set. Cool completely before decorating
- Dust the cooled cookie tops with powdered sugar.
- Pipe a ring of raspberry jam on each cookie bottom. Carefully place the cookie tops on the bottoms. Handle the tops from the sides to avoid smearing the sugar.
- Pipe raspberry preserves into the center of each cookie.
Storage
Raspberry Linzer Cookies are delicious the day they’re made, but they’re even better the next day when the flavors have time to meld. Store the cookies on a covered tray at room temperature. You can stack them in a covered container if you place sheets of wax paper or parchment between the layers.
Pastry Chef Recipe Tips
Heart shaped cookies are cute for valentines day. Of course you can cut them into any shape you’d like and make them any time of year.
If you’re a chocoholic fill the cookies with chocolate ganache instead of (or with) the raspberry preserves.
You may also like Nutella Sandwich Cookies (hazelnut Linzers) or Pistachio Apricot Linzer Cookies.
Hey Cookies Monster! Here are a few more classic cookies for you to try: Rainbow Cookies, Black & White Cookies, Diamant Sablé, Coconut Thin Cookies, Lemon Thins, Classic Shortbread Cookies, and cute little Checkerboard Cookies.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, I’d really appreciate a star rating and a quick comment. Ratings and comments help my recipes show in search results. Thanks!
Raspberry Linzer Cookies
Ingredients
- 7 ½ oz all-purpose flour (1 ½ cups, see note)
- ⅛ teaspoon table salt
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 oz unsalted butter (softened)
- 6 oz confectioner sugar (1 ½ cups)
- 2 oz almond flour (¼ cup)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon rum
- 2 large egg yolks
- confectioner’s sugar for dusting
- 1 cup seedless raspberry preserves for filling
Instructions
- Sift together 7 ½ oz all-purpose flour, ⅛ teaspoon table salt, ⅛ teaspoon baking soda and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Set aside.
- Cream 6 oz unsalted butter and 6 oz confectioner sugar until the mixture lightens in color and is aerated, about 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl thoroughly. Add 2 oz almond flour, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon rum, mix to combine. Add 2 large egg yolks and mix just until combined. Don't over-mix once the eggs are added. Scrape the bowl thoroughly. With the mixer running on low speed, add the flour.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly to finish combining the ingredients. Split the dough into two equal portions and form each into a disc. Wrap and refrigerate for several hours until chilled and firm.
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line two ½ sheet pans with parchment paper or a silcone baking mat.
- Remove one of the dough discs from the refrigerator. Knead briefly or press on the dough with a rolling pin to soften. Roll the dough to ⅛" thick and cut out cookie bottoms. Set the cookie bottoms onto one of the prepared sheetpans, spaced ¼" apart.
- Reroll the scraps and continue cutting until the first portion of dough is gone. If the dough gets too soft to roll return it to the refrigerator to firm up.
- Roll the second portion of dough to ⅛" thick and use the same cutter to cut cookie tops. Use a smaller cutter to cut a hole in the center of each cookie top. Continue rolling and cutting until you have an equal number of cookie tops and bottoms.
- Bake until lightly golden, about 6-7 minutes. Turn the trays ½ way through the cooking time if the are browning unevenly. Cool completely
- Dust an even layer of confectioner's sugar over the cookie tops. Using a pastry bag or small spatula, pipe a rim of raspberry preserves over each cookie bottom.
- Carefully place a cookie top onto each cookie bottom to form a sandwich. Use a pastry bag to fill the cut-outs with raspberry preserves.
Equipment
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Do you generally use the same type/brand vanilla in your recipes? What is the one you recommend?
I do. I always use Neilsen Massey vanilla. It’s what I used for my cake business and I really like the flavor and how strong it is. It is a bit pricey, though.
I have a simple question. If you don’t like the flavor of rum, will you still like these cookies? Is it that well hidden?
The rum is not an obvious flavor, it’s mostly there to enhance other flavors. But of course it depends how sensitive your plate is.
Thank you very much!
These look great, and very well written recipe. But I don’t think 6oz of confectioners sugar is 3/4 c. Is your original recipe by weight or volume? Thanks!
Hi Maria….Ooops!! Thanks for catching that! I use weight for all my original recipes and I used the volume for granulated sugar by mistake. It’s one of my older recipes and I haven’t updated it in a while. I’ve updated the recipe with the correct amounts and also included metric. They’re really tasty cookies and I hope you like them.
They were delicious! Since you’re trained, I decided to trust the weight and it worked out. Thank you!
Great! I’m glad you liked them. They’re one of my favorite cookies. Happy Holidays!
Very nice explanation on how to assemble these cookies for a professional appearance. The majority of recipes you read say something like: “Use a fine-mesh strainer and sprinkle the tops of the cookies with powdered sugar just before serving.” Now if you think those instructions through, just how are you suppose to dust the top of the cookies with icing sugar without dusting the jam as well and making a total mess of of the cookie? BTW, if you freeze the finished cookie, will the icing sugar hold up when you defrost them?
If you want to work ahead I would recommend freezing the unbaked cookies. I would think they’d be a little worse for the wear after freezing if they’re already baked and assembled.