Linzer cookies are my all time favorite cookies. I may be in the minority here, but to me there’s nothing better than two perfectly softened sweet, buttery cookies sandwiched together with sharp, tart jam. They’re also the cookies of my childhood because they remind me of Christmas baking in my grandparents’ kitchen, which turned into a magical cookie making workshop every December. My grandmother’s Linzers are hard to match; hers were paper thin and meticulously uniform, but I’d like to think that every batch gets me closer to her level. I make these cookies all year round, and substituting the jam with lemon curd is a great way to add spring flavor to them – the fresh lemon flavor paired with the sweet cookie is perfection! And since it’s almost Easter, why not make them egg-shaped…
LEMON CURD LINZER COOKIE EGGS
INGREDIENTS
2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) and 2 TBS unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
Lemon curd for filling (I used store-bought)
Powdered sugar for dusting
DIRECTIONS
1. Cream together the butter and granulated sugar (make sure your butter is softened). Once you have a smooth mixture, add the egg yolks and vanilla extract and mix until everything is a creamy yellow color. Add flour and mix until a dough forms. (At this point I wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge overnight, but you can let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour if you don’t have more time.)
2. Once you are ready to use the dough, take it out of the fridge and let it soften so that you can roll it out. (I cut it into three portions and roll those out one by one, just so the dough is more manageable. I also roll it between two sheets of plastic wrap because that means no clean up! You can of course roll it out on a floured surface instead.) Roll the dough pretty thin and cut out your shapes, then place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
3. Preheat your oven to 350 deg F and bake the cookies for about 7 – 10 minutes until they are just very lightly golden brown. Make sure to watch your oven carefully because when these are close to being done they turn brown very quickly! Let the cookies cool completely, then dust the top cookies with confectioners’ sugar, spread the lemon curd on the bottom cookies and gently sandwich them together. Store in an air-tight container. The cookies are best the next day once they’ve had a chance to soften!
*Note: I converted my recipe from metric measurements. The original measurements are: 350g all-purpose flour, 250g unsalted butter, 130g granulated sugar, 2 egg yolks.
Most of the time I make the cookies with jam (see picture below) – seedless raspberry or strawberry works best!
I hope you love these cookies as much as I do if you try them! Thanks for stopping by today!
