Description
These Raspberry Linzer Butter Cookies are irresistibly buttery, delicate, and beautifully festive, with tender shortbread-style layers, sweet raspberry jam centers, and a gorgeous snowy powdered sugar finish. Made with creamy unsalted butter, granulated sugar, rich egg yolks, pure vanilla extract, and all-purpose flour, these elegant sandwich cookies feature lightly golden edges and a wonderfully melt-in-your-mouth texture. Each cookie is filled with thick raspberry jam and topped with a decorative cut-out window that reveals a jewel-like ruby-red center. Perfect for Christmas cookie trays, Valentine’s Day treats, holiday baking, weddings, homemade gifts, or enjoying with a warm cup of tea or coffee!
Ingrédients
Scale
- For the Soft Butter Cookie Base:
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 226 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (approximately 65°F–68°F / 18°C–20°C)
- 3/4 cup (149 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
- For the Fruit Filling and Powdered Sugar Finish:
- 1/2 cup (160 g) thick raspberry jam, seedless or seeded
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, sifted, for dusting the window tops
Instructions
- Cream Butter, Granulated Sugar, and Salt: In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 1 cup (226 g) of softened unsalted butter, 3/4 cup (149 g) of granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Beat on medium-high speed for 3–4 minutes until the mixture becomes light, pale, fluffy, and creamy. The butter should be softened to approximately 65°F–68°F (18°C–20°C), but not melted.
- Incorporate Egg Yolks and Vanilla Extract: Add 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract to the creamed butter mixture. Incorporate the 2 room-temperature egg yolks one at a time, beating on medium speed after each addition until the ingredients are fully combined and the mixture becomes smooth and uniform.
- Incorporate All-Purpose Flour: Gradually add 2 1/2 cups (300 g) of all-purpose flour to the wet ingredients. Mix gently on low speed just until the flour is incorporated and a soft, uniform butter cookie dough forms. Avoid overmixing to preserve the delicate, tender, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread texture.
- Shape and Chill Dough Discs: Divide the prepared cookie dough into two equal portions. Gently flatten each portion into a smooth, even disc and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until the dough is sufficiently firm to roll out cleanly without sticking or losing its shape.
- Roll Out the Chilled Dough: Remove one chilled dough disc from the refrigerator and place it between two sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough evenly to approximately 1/6 inch (4 mm) thick. Keep the thickness consistent throughout to ensure the cookies bake evenly. Repeat with the remaining dough disc.
- Cut Cookie Bases and Decorative Windows: Using a 2-inch square or round cookie cutter, cut an even number of shapes from the rolled dough. Leave half of the shapes solid to form the cookie bases. Using a smaller 1-inch cookie cutter, carefully remove the center from the remaining shapes to create decorative window tops. Gather and gently reroll any dough scraps as needed to cut additional matching pairs.
- Chill Shaped Cookie Cutouts: Arrange the solid cookie bases and decorative window tops on separate parchment-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate the shaped cookies for 30 minutes before baking. This essential chilling step firms up the butter and helps the cutouts maintain their sharp edges, neat shapes, and clearly defined windows in the oven.
- Preheat Oven and Bake Until Lightly Golden: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Transfer the chilled cookie cutouts directly from the refrigerator to the preheated oven. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are set and lightly golden while the centers remain pale. Check the decorative window tops slightly earlier, as their smaller surface area may cause them to bake faster than the solid bases. Avoid overbaking to preserve the delicate butter cookie texture.
- Cool, Dust, Fill, and Assemble Raspberry Linzer Cookies: Remove the baked cookies from the oven and carefully transfer them to a wire cooling rack once firm enough to handle. Allow all the cookies to cool completely before assembling. Place the decorative window tops on a clean work surface and dust them generously with the 1 cup (120 g) of sifted powdered sugar, keeping the window openings clear. Spoon approximately 1/2 teaspoon of thick raspberry jam onto the center of each solid cookie base and spread gently without reaching the edges. Carefully position a powdered sugar-dusted window top over each jam-covered base and press lightly to form a beautiful sandwich cookie. Serve and enjoy the tender, buttery layers, sweet raspberry filling, and elegant snowy-white finish!
Notes
- Dust Window Tops Before Assembly: Always dust the decorative cut-out window tops generously with sifted powdered sugar before placing them over the jam-covered cookie bases. Dusting after assembly can cover the vibrant raspberry jam centers and diminish their beautiful ruby-red appearance.
- Keep Dough Cold Before Baking: Refrigerate the shaped cookie cutouts on their baking sheets for a full 30 minutes before transferring them to the oven. This chilling period solidifies the butter and helps prevent spreading, allowing the cookies to maintain their crisp geometric outlines and decorative windows.
- Use Thick, High-Pectin Raspberry Jam: Choose a good-quality, thick raspberry jam, either seedless or seeded. Runny or watery preserves can seep into the delicate butter cookie layers, making them soft or soggy. A thick filling helps the sandwich cookies hold together beautifully while preserving their tender texture.
- Temps de préparation: 30 minutes
- Temps de cuisson: 12 minutes
- Catégorie: Dessert
- Méthode: Baking
- Cuisine: European
Nutrition
- Portion: 1 sandwich cookie
- Calories: 165
- Sucre: 13g
- Sodium: 85mg
- Graisse: 8g
- Graisse saturée: 5g
- Graisses insaturées: 2g
- Gras trans: 0g
- Glucides: 22g
- Fibres: 0g
- Protéine: 2g
- Cholestérol: 35mg