Spiced Citrus-Plum Linzer Cookies
Plum jam filling and toasted hazelnuts give these special cookies a little something extra. OR We boost the sweet-tartness of plum jam in Austrian Linzer cookies with citrus, hazelnuts, and spice.
- Makes24 Sandwich cookies
- Cook Time2 hours
- Active time plus cooling45 minutes active
- 1
Our take on Austrian Linzer cookies uses hazelnuts instead of the traditional almonds in the dough. If you can buy hazelnut meal, use 140 grams (1½ cups) instead grinding whole nuts as we do, but make sure to toast the hazelnut meal as directed. Plum jam with a smooth texture worked best for the filling; if yours is very thick and chunky, press it through a fine mesh strainer before measuring and simmering. If you do not have a ½-inch-round cutter for making windows in the cookies, the wide end of a standard piping tip also can be used. And if you have Linzer cookie cutters, use them in place of our dough-cutting method. Dough scraps left over after cutting out the circles can be gathered, rerolled, cut and baked into additional Linzer cookies (you'll need more jam to fill them) or into various shapes for nibbling. Assembled cookies will hold for up to 24 hours, but for the best texture wait to finish them until ready to serve. This prevents the jam from softening the cookies as they sit.
Don’t let your dough get warm. It’s important to keep the dough chilled while working and before baking, as this helps to control the cookies' spread. If it seems sticky or soft while you’re rolling and cutting, pop it into the refrigerator or freezer.
Step 1
Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. In a food processor, grind the hazelnuts until fine, about 30 seconds. Spread the ground hazelnuts in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until light golden and fragrant, 7 to 8 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
Step 2
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and white sugar on medium-low until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add the vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, salt and orange zest; mix well, 30 to 60 seconds. Beat in the egg yolks, scraping down the bowl as needed.
Add the flour and ground hazelnuts, then mix on low until fully incorporated, about 1 minute.
Step 3
Divide the dough in half and sandwich each between 2 sheets of kitchen parchment, pressing the dough into discs.
Use a rolling pin to roll each disc ¼ inch thick. Leaving the parchment in place, stack the dough on a baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm and well chilled, about 30 minutes.
Step 4
Line 2 baking sheets with kitchen parchment. Transfer 1 dough disc to a work surface, leaving the parchment in place. Roll out to ⅛ inch thick.
Remove the top layer of parchment. Use a 2-inch-round cutter to cut out 24 circles and arrange them on 1 of the prepared baking sheets, spacing them evenly, then refrigerate.
Repeat with the second batch of dough, arranging the rounds on the second baking sheet. Use a ½-inch-round cutter to cut out a circle in the center of the rounds on the second baking sheet.
Step 5
Transfer the first baking sheet to the oven; refrigerate the second. Bake until golden brown at the edges, 6 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheet. Meanwhile, bake the second sheet, then let cool completely.
Step 6
In a small saucepan over medium, bring the jam to a boil and cook, stirring, until thickened and reduced to about ¾ cup, 8 to 10 minutes. (To check the consistency of the jam, put 1 teaspoon on a small plate and refrigerate for 5 minutes; the jam should be quite firm.) Cool to room temperature, then stir in the lemon zest and cardamom.
Step 7
Spread each whole cookie with 1 teaspoon of the jam mixture, evenly covering the surface.
Spoon some powdered sugar into a fine mesh strainer and dust the windowed cookies until lightly coated. Place a sugar-dusted cookie on each jam-topped cookie and press lightly to seal.
