Linzer Cookies

 I have tried a bunch of Linzer cookie recipes over the years and non compare to this tried-and-true Family Circle magazine version from 1979!

So delicious and fun, they’ve become a tradition in my house each Valentine’s season.

According to Wikipedia, the Linzer Torte (or Linzertorte) is an Austrian and Hungarian torte with a lattice design on top of the pastry. Linzer Torte is a very short, crumbly pastry made of flour, unsalted butter, egg yolks, lemon zest, cinnamon and lemon juice, and ground nuts, usually hazelnuts, (but even walnuts or almonds are used), covered with a filling of red currant jamor, alternatively, plum butter, thick raspberry or apricot jam. It is covered by a lattice of dough strips. 

LINZER COOKIES (nut free)
original recipe from Family Circle Magazine, 1979 
SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR A PRINTABLE RECIPE!

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1 12 oz. jar jam (raspberry, strawberry, apricot all work well); we use Nutella also
confectioner’s sugar

Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Separate 1 egg.

Beat in egg, egg yolk, lemon rind and vanilla extract.

Mix flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Stir into egg mixture, blending well to make a stiff dough; use hands if necessary to mix ingredients together. Divide dough evenly onto two sheets of wax paper. Use paper to make a ball with the dough, then wrap tightly and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Remove one dough disk from refrigerater. Roll dough between sheets of wax paper to about 1/4″ thickness. With 2″ round cookie cutter,  cut as many circles from dough as possible. Carefully remove circles from wax paper and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Chill scraps before re-rolling and cutting out circles.

With second disk of dough, repeat process of rolling and cutting out circles. Using a smaller cookie cutter or knife, cut shapes in this batch of circles. Again, chill scraps before re-rolling.

You can use a round cookie cutter, or even a drinking glass and knife to cut out the inside shape. I have this Wilton set. The kids love all the different cut outs they can make.

Bake cookies 8-9 minutes or until edges are just starting to turn golden. Remove from oven and cool cookies on stovetop for 1 minute, then carefully transfer from cookie sheets to wire cooling racks and cool completely.

I have found if you let them rest on the cookie sheet longer than a minute or so, they tend to stick to the pan and break when removed.

Dust the cookies with cut-outs (tops) with confectionary sugar. Top each bottom cookie with a top to form a sandwich.

THE PRINTABLE RECIPE IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST!

If your Valentine is a chocoholic (like all four of mine!), one of these desserts might strike your fancy!

[mpprecipe-recipe:9]