Sifted Durum Linzer Cookies

These Linzer Cookies are a spin on the traditional holiday sandwich cookie. They are made with sifted durum flour instead of almond flour which lend the cookies a hearty taste, a nice crunch and make them wonderfully adaptable to seasonal fillings.

Recipe and photos by Esther Seha. Esther is a Chicago based activist educator and artistic baker. Find her on Instagram @baker.maker.shaker and at www.cakeandconversation.com . 

Ingredients

• 1 1 /2 sticks (175g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
•  2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar
•  1 egg
•  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•  1 2/3 cup (230g) Sifted Durum Flour
•  3/4 cup (100g) Frederick Cake Flour  
•  1/4 teaspoon salt
•  1 /2 cup (160g) cherry jam (or jam of your choice)
•  powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Instructions

1. In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar, about 2 minutes. Add egg, vanilla, and salt and mix for another 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
2. Add flours and mix until well combined. On clean work surface, shape dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or longer.
3. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place two oven racks in the middle positions and preheat the oven to 350°F.
4. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is 1/8 “ thick. Cut out cookies with either the 1 1/2 “ or 2“ round cutter or make some of each size. Divide the cookies evenly between the two baking sheets. Leave one sheet of cookies as is. For the cookies on the second sheet use the 1/2“ cutter to cut out a round from each cookie. Gather and reroll leftover scraps to cut out a few more cookie tops and bottoms. Make sure you have equal amounts of tops and bottoms.
5. Bake cookies for 8 minutes. Rotate the sheets and switch their positions in the oven and bake for another 5 to 7 minutes. The cookies should be golden around the edge. Remove cookies from the oven and let cool completely.
6. To assemble the Linzer Cookies, spread about 1/2 teaspoon of jam in the middle of each bottom cookie and top with a cookie top. Dust with powdered sugar if desired. The cookies will soften once they are filled, so feel free to fill them in increments. Store filled and unfilled cookies in separate airtight containers.

Background Note

Linzer Cookies have their origin in the celebrated Linzer Torte, a cake made of almond pastry, filled with red currant jelly and decorated with a lattice design on top. While the Linzer Torte originates from the Austrian city of Linz, their offspring – the Linzer Cookie – is a staple of German holiday baking and has also found its way across the Atlantic to the United States. Linzer Cookies make for eye-catching and deliciously buttery treats that can be made in different shapes and sizes.