Raspberry Pistachio Linzer Cookies
Traditionally made from a nutty almond-based cookie dough, for these Linzer cookies, we are using pistachios. The dough is rolled out, cut into shapes, and baked, similar to sugar cookies. Once baked, the cookies are finished with a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar and sandwiched together with a sweet jam.
These festive Austrian cookies are easily some of the prettiest cookies, especially when presented on holiday cookie trays.
- Prep Time: 20 + 4hrs (chill time)
- Cook Time: 11
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 2.5 dozen 1x
Ingredients
Scale
- 2/3 cup shelled pistachios
- 2/3 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup raspberry jam or jelly (or any flavour!)
- 2 Tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Place the pistachios and 1/3 cup brown sugar in a food processor.
- Pulse into a very fine crumb. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl beat the butter and remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar together on high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract, and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute.
- Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
- Add the flour mixture and the ground pistachio mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. It will be crumbly at first, but will come together after a couple minutes of mixing.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal portions, gently flatten into discs, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Chill the discs in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Remove 1 disc of chilled cookie dough from the refrigerator.
- Generously flour a work surface, as well as your hands and the rolling pin. The dough may become sticky as you work, so keep extra flour nearby to use as needed.
- Roll out the disc until 1/4 inch thick.
- Using a 2-inch round or fluted cookie cutter, cut dough into circles.
- Reroll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used.
- Repeat with the second disc of dough.
- Using a 1-inch round or fluted cookie cutter, cut a hole into the center of 32 of the circles. Let’s call these 32 cookies the “donut cookies” because of that center hole.
- Bake the whole circles for about 11 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges, and bake the donut cookies for about 10 minutes.
- Spread 1⁄2 teaspoon of jam on each whole cookie. Carefully top each with a donut cookie and press down gently to create a cookie sandwich.
- Dust each with confectioners’ sugar.