Linzer Spice Cookies

Soft cookies spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves filled with sweet jam! It's a balanced cookie, perfect for those who like a little warmth around the holidays. The almond and spices add a great flavor, but feel free to switch up the spices to your liking! The recipe is here, and pictures of the process are below.

The lemon and cinnamon (my favorite) Linzer cookie recipe

The original recipe is from: https://cinnamonandcoriander.com/en/authentic-linzer-cookies-recipe-the-famous-austrian-christmas-cookie/

Ingredients:

• 75 g almond meal, or almond flour (3/4 cup)

• 75 g flour (1/2 cup)

• A pinch of salt

• 75 g softened salted butter (~6 Tbsp.)

• 25 g powdered sugar (~3 Tbsp.)

• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg

• 1/8 tsp. cloves

• 1/2 Tbsp. rum

• 1 egg yolk

• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

• Jam, almost any jam will work!

Directions:

1. Combine almond meal, flour, and salt and set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl beat the powdered sugar and butter together until fluffy.

3. Add in the spices, rum, vanilla, and egg yolk and mix well.

4. Add the dry mixture and mix until well combined.

5. Use your hands to shape into a ball, and then into a disk wrapped in plastic wrap. Chill 2 hours, or overnight.

6. Roll out dough on a floured work surface. Roll into 1/8 inch or 3-4 mm thick, cut out 2 inch / 5 cm cookies. Chill and re-roll scraps.

7. Bake on parchment lined baking sheets for 8 minutes at 350°F.

8. Let cool on pan about 5 minutes before cooling on wire rack.

9. Dust the cut-out sides with powdered sugar, and add jam to the bottom cookie piece, creating little sandwich cookies.

10. Store at room temperature up to 3 days (they will soften), or in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

11. Makes about 14 sandwich cookies.

The ingredients I used.

If you want to make your own almond meal...

Simply grind up some almonds! But store-bought almond will work well, if not better!

Mix together the dry ingredients. Set aside.

Before mixing the butter and sugar together.

After mixing the butter and sugar together.

Then add the egg yolk, vanilla, rum, and spices.

And combine!

Add the dry ingredients.

And mix in!

Shape into a ball, making sure everything comes together.

Then flatten to a disk, cover, and refrigerate.

After chilling we can roll it on a floured surface.

After rolling, use cookie cutters to cut out.

Before baking.

After baking!

Let cool on a wire rack.

Fill with jam.

Dust the top halves with powdered sugar.

Like this.

Then sandwich! They are good to go!

The inside! Soft but slightly chewy!