Description
Cherry Almond Linzer Cookies are delicate sandwich cookies featuring a buttery almond-flavored dough filled with sweet cherry preserves and topped with a light almond-flavored glaze. Perfect for festive occasions or a delightful treat with tea or coffee.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 2/3 cup (100g) salted roasted almonds
- 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for rolling
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
Filling & Topping
- 1/2 cup (160g) cherry preserves (or other flavor)
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1–2 Tablespoons whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract or pure vanilla extract (or 1/4 teaspoon each)
Instructions
- Make the dough: Place the almonds in a food processor. Pulse until they are finely chopped but not turned into almond flour, achieving a slightly coarse texture. In a medium bowl, whisk together the chopped almonds, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt until combined. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again to ensure full incorporation.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. The dough will be thick and crumbly, weighing around 850g.
- Chill the dough: Divide the dough into two equal portions (about 425g each) and gently flatten each into discs. Wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to 4 days.
- Prepare for baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
- Roll and cut cookies: Remove one disc of dough from the refrigerator. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes (or 30 minutes if chilled longer than 3 hours) to soften slightly. Generously flour the work surface, hands, and rolling pin. Roll the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut dough using 2-inch or 3-inch cookie cutters, then re-roll scraps and continue cutting until all dough is used. Repeat with the second disc, yielding approximately 44–60 cookies depending on cutter size.
- Create top cookies: Using a small 1-inch cookie cutter, cut a hole in the center of half of the cookies to make the top pieces. The cookies without holes will be the bottom pieces.
- Bake cookies: Arrange cookies about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 11–12 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the icing: In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar, 1 tablespoon of milk, and almond or vanilla extract until smooth. If the icing is too thick, add more milk one teaspoon at a time until thick but spreadable.
- Ice the top cookies: Lightly dip the surface of each top cookie into the icing, allowing excess to drip off. Place iced cookies on a wire rack or parchment paper. It’s fine if icing is not fully set before assembly.
- Assemble cookies: Spread about 1/2 teaspoon of cherry preserves on the bottom side of each bottom cookie. Gently sandwich each bottom cookie with a top iced cookie. Press together lightly. The icing will set in a few hours.
- Storage: Store cookies covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week. For longer storage, freeze assembled iced cookies up to 3 months, thawing overnight in refrigerator before serving.
Notes
- You can chill cookie dough for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before rolling out when frozen.
- If you don’t have a small cookie cutter for the centers, use the end of a straw or a small paring knife to create holes.
- Use salted roasted almonds for best flavor, but raw or unsalted almonds are fine with an extra pinch of salt added to the dough.
- Cherry preserves can be replaced with raspberry, apricot, or strawberry preserves. Pulse chunky preserves in food processor to smooth.
- To skip icing, dust the top cookies with 2 tablespoons of sifted confectioners’ sugar instead.
- Use parchment paper or silicone baking mats to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie sandwich
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
