Chocolate Linzer Cookies
These adorable chocolate linzer cookies bake up beautifully and are buttery, tender, and filled with gooey Nutella.
Servings: 30 sandwich cookies
Calories: 247kcal
Ingredients
Linzer Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 226g
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar 133g
- 1 egg yolk 25g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 190g
- 2/3 cup superfine almond meal or almond flour 67g
- 1/3 cup dark or Dutch-processed cocoa powder 33g
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch 8g
- 1/4 tsp fine salt 2g
Filling & Decorations
- 2 cups Nutella or your favorite chocolate spread 600g
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar 30g
Additional Supplies
Instructions
Linzer Cookie Dough
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat 1 cup butter and 2/3 cup granulated sugar on a medium-high speed for a couple of minutes, until the mixture becomes lighter in color.
- Add in 1 egg yolk and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Mix on a medium speed until combined.
- Whisk together 1 1/2 cups flour, 2/3 cup almond flour, 1/3 cup dark or Dutch-processed cocoa powder, 1 Tbsp cornstarch, and 1/4 tsp salt in a separate bowl.
- Mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture on a low speed until it is JUST incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula between additions.
- At this point, the dough should be quite thick. Divide the dough in half and wrap each portion of dough in a piece of plastic wrap. I like to flatten the dough out into a rectangle that's about 1/3 inch tall to make it easier to roll out once it's chilled.
- Chill the dough in the fridge for about 45 minutes. If you need to chill the dough longer than that or overnight, let it sit out at room temperature for about 5 minutes before trying to roll it out. This will make it easier to roll out.
- Turn on the oven to 350 F / 175 C about 30 minutes before you plan to roll out the dough, and line two large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Set aside.
- Take one piece of dough out of the fridge, leaving the other in there to continue to chill. Unwrap the cookie dough and lay the plastic wrap out flat on your counter. We will be rolling out the cookie dough on the plastic wrap to make cleanup a breeze and to make it easier to pick up the cut out cookies. Dust the top of the cookie dough and your rolling pin with flour.
- Roll the chilled dough to be 1/4 inch thick (I use these bands on my rolling pin to make sure I get the thickness just right). If the dough cracks/splits a bit as you roll it out, don't worry! It will come back together as you roll it out and you can cut the cookies out around any big splits. If the dough is too soft to pick up the cut-out cookies, lift the entire sheet of cookie dough with the plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 5-10 minutes to let it firm up.
- Then cut out 1 1/2-inch scalloped circles. If you don't have a cutter that size, use a round glass that's similar in size. Use a 3/4-inch heart or circle cutter to remove the centers from half the cookies. Feel free to get creative with the cookie cutters you use! Save the dough from the centers to be rolled out with the next piece of dough.
- The cookies don't spread much as they bake, so place them about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake one sheet of cookies at a time. Bake for 9-10 minutes on the middle rack of your oven (bake time will vary based on the size of the cookies and the thickness of the dough). Let the baked cookies cool on the pan for about 15 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- While the first batch bakes and cools, knead together the cookie dough scraps and rewrap them in plastic wrap. Pop them back in the fridge to chill.
- Pull out the 2nd chilled portion of dough and repeat steps 8-12. Then repeat with the chilled dough scraps.
Decorating and Filling These Linzer Cookies
- Once the cookies have fully cooled, use powdered sugar or cocoa powder (or both) to generously dust the tops of the cookies with the center cut-outs. I used a small piece of parchment paper to dust half of each cookie with cocoa powder and the other half with powdered sugar. I like to use this little little duster, but you can also use a small sifter.
- Then spread or pipe 2 tsp of Nutella on the center of each uncut cookie. Top with a cut-out cookie, squeezing a little to spread out the Nutella and push it up into the cutout section. Repeat with the remaining cookies, then enjoy! These can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Video
Notes
How Many Cookies Does this Recipe Make?
This recipe can be used to make about 30, 1 1/2-inch sandwich cookies. The yield and bake time will vary based on the size and shape of the cookie cutter(s) you use. This recipe can be halved to make fewer cookies (use half an egg yolk) or doubled if needed. However, if you want to make fewer cookies, I recommend making a regular-sized batch of dough and just freezing half of it for the future. You can also make bigger cookies using larger cookie cutters if you want! I'd recommend baking them for a minute longer if you use a cookie cutter that is 3 inches or larger.Making These Linzer Cookies in Advance and Storage Tips
You can store filled cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature, or for up to a month in the freezer. Use a piece of parchment paper between the cookies if you plan to stack them on top of each other. This cookie dough can also be frozen for up to 1 month if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. I like to move the cookie dough to the fridge the night before I plan to roll it out and bake the cookies. Baked, unfilled cookies can also be frozen! These cookies last for up to a month if frozen in an airtight container. I recommend waiting to fill and dust them with powdered sugar until they’ve thawed to room temperature.Tips for Making the Best Linzer Cookies
- I recommend baking these on a light-colored (preferably aluminum) baking sheet (these are my favorite baking sheets).
- Really cream together the butter and granulated sugar in the first step of this recipe. It helps incorporate air into the dough which makes tender cookies.
- Don’t overwork the cookie dough once the flour is mixed in! It can overwork the gluten and result in tough, dense cookies.
- Roll the cookie dough out to a consistent thickness of 1/4 inch. If some are thicker or thinner than others, they may over- or under-bake in the oven.
- Take the time to chill the cookie dough. It helps prevent your cookies from spreading while they bake and makes them a lot easier to cut out.
- Don’t overbake your cookies. Err of the side of underbaking your cookies and remember that the cookies continue to bake for a few minutes once they’re out of the oven.
- Feel free to fill these with any type of filling! This recipe is also delicious with strawberry or raspberry jam, or even orange marmalade.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 247kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 34mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g