Classic Linzer cookies sandwiching chocolate hazelnut filling make for the ultimate flavor combination! Although this cookie dough recipe is not exactly traditional, it makes for an amazing texture and fail-proof cookie that holds it's shape beautifully.
What are Linzer cookies?
These deliciously buttery cookies are basically mini cookie versions of a Linzer torte. These cookies - which originated in Austria - are traditionally served around Christmastime, but that's not to say they aren't an amazing year round treat!
The cookie dough features almond flour to give it a distinctly nutty and tender cookie. Currant preserves are traditionally used for filling, but Americanized versions tend to use jam. Other newer variations feature fillings like lemon curd, ganache, caramel, and chocolate hazelnut (to name a few)!
This recipe isn't exactly traditional - I've made a few tweaks to create what I consider to be a more fail-proof version - but it is most definitely delicious and true to the flavor and texture of a classic Linzer cookie!
Nutella Linzer cookie ingredients:
• flour
• almond flour: for that signature Linzer flavor. I love the mixture of almond flavor and hazelnut flavor from the Nutella!
• cornstarch: bit of an untraditional ingredient, but if you know me, you'll know I'd add cornstarch to EVERYTHING if I could. Not kidding. Cornstarch makes for a more sandy and crisp cookie that snaps nicely when you break into it! It also means you need less flour in the dough, which helps avoid the all too common Linzer cookie problem of having a dry, crumbly dough.
• salt
• butter
• brown sugar: Also pretty untraditional - I love the molasses-y flavor and slightly chewy texture that the brown sugar brings to the cookies! You can use light or dark brown sugar in this recipe. If you don't have any on hand, you can either make your own brown sugar at home or use granulated or powdered sugar. Either one works fine, but the cookies will have a crisper texture if you use granulated or powdered sugar! It just depends on what you like!
• egg
• vanilla extract
• Nutella: I love the pairing of Nutella with these cookies, but you can also fill your cookies with any other spreads with a similarly thick consistency. Some awesome options include jams, jellies, marmalades, ganache, lemon curd, buttercream, and more!
how to make Nutella Linzer cookies:
1. Whisk together dry ingredients.
2. Cream together butter and sugar.
3. Whisk egg and vanilla into the butter mixture.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients. That's all it takes to make the cookie dough!
5. Chill cookie dough until firm. This'll take about 1 to 2 hours, but you can also store the cookie dough in the fridge for up to 4 days.
6. Roll and cut dough. Cut an equal amount of cookies with a center cutout and without. For the center cutout, you can use any cookie cutter shape you like, as long as it's smaller than the outer cutout. I went with a snowflake for a more festive look!
Did I go out and by a mini snowflake cookie cutter just for these cookies? You bet I did. But it was on sale and it felt like a savvy business purchase...
it was really cute, ok?
7. Arrange on baking sheet, freeze, then bake! Freezing the cookies for 10 minutes helps ensure they keep their shape when they bake! It's best to bake cookies with a center cutout on their own baking sheet, separate from the whole cookies. The center cutout cookies will bake faster, so it just makes it easier to take them out.
8. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Fill with Nutella and sandwich!
Nutella Linzer cookie storage:
Keep the Linzer cookies stored in an airtight container to hold in maximum freshness. Filled Linzer cookies will soften overtime - so if you don't plan on serving them anytime soon, it's best to store the plain cookies, and fill before serving.
The filled cookies will keep for 2 to 3 days at room temperature or 4 to 5 days in the fridge. Unfilled cookies will keep for about 1 week at room temperature.
Check out these other recipes!
• Apricot Jam Filled Sandwich Cookies
• Peppermint Chocolate Slice and Bake Cookies
• Small Batch Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Chocolate Yule Log Cake (Bûche de Noël)
Nutella Linzer Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 & ¾ cups (210g) all-purpose flour, spoon and leveled
- ¾ cup (75g) super-fine almond flour
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (225g / 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar, light or dark *see notes
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Nutella, for filling
Instructions
- In a medium bowl combine all-purpose flour, almond flour, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk together, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar. Using an electric mixer fitted with the beater attachment, or a wooden spoon by hand, cream together until well combined and slightly lightened in color (about 2 minutes using an electric mixer set to medium speed or 3 minutes by hand).
- Whisk the egg and vanilla into your butter / sugar mixture until combined. Add the dry ingredients, and mix together until you have a thick, sticky dough.
- Divide the dough in half and wrap each half with plastic wrap. Flatten into a rough disk shape, and chill in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours, or until firm.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.
- Take one of the disks of dough out of the fridge, unwrap and place on a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough out until it's between ¼ inch and ⅛ inch thick. Use a 2 & ½ inch round cookie cutter to cut, and transfer cut cookies onto your parchment lined baking sheet. You don't need a whole lot of space between the cookies - they don't spread much - but leave a little bit of room for air to circulate (at least ½ an inch between each cookie).
- Gather up the dough scraps and continue rolling and cutting until the first half of dough is used up. If the dough becomes too soft to work with at any point, wrap it in plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes, or until firmed up again before continuing to roll.
- Repeat the rolling and cutting process with the second half of dough, but this time, cut out a center hole using a smaller cookie cutter to create a little window in the cookies.
- Pop the cookies into the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up before baking. Bake the cookies in the center of your preheated 350°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown along the edges. The cookies with a center cutout will take less time to bake. Start checking on the cookies around the 10 minute mark.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer onto a wire rack, and set aside to cool completely to room temperature.
- Spread a small amount of Nutella on the bottom of a cookie (without a center cutout) and sandwich with a cookie with a center cutout. Repeat until all of the cookies are sandwiched together.
Notes
Enjoy!
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