Description
Delight in these festive Gluten-Free Linzer Cookies featuring almond-flavored shortbread sandwiches with your choice of raspberry jam. Perfectly crumbly and lightly dusted with powdered sugar, these cookies are ideal for holidays, Valentine's Day, or any occasion that calls for a pretty and delicious treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 1 cup butter or dairy-free butter (room temperature)
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups gluten free all purpose flour with xanthan gum (we used GFJules)
- 1 cup finely chopped almonds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Filling & Finishing
- 1 cup raspberry jam or jam of choice
- ½ cup powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Gather all ingredients at room temperature to ensure even mixing and consistent texture for the dough.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, combine gluten free flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and finely chopped almonds. Stir well to blend evenly.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a separate large bowl, beat the butter (or dairy-free butter) with sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until a cohesive dough forms. Do not overmix to maintain tender cookies.
- Chill Dough: Divide the dough into two discs, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up for easy rolling.
- Roll and Cut Cookies: On a lightly floured surface (using gluten free flour), roll out one disc about 1/4 inch thick. Use a Linzer cookie cutter or two different sized round cutters, one with a center cutout, to cut out shapes.
- Bake Cookies: Place cutouts on a parchment-lined baking sheet spaced about 1 inch apart. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden.
- Cool Cookies: Remove from oven and let cookies cool completely on a wire rack before assembling.
- Assemble Linzer Cookies: Spread about 1 teaspoon of raspberry jam on each whole cookie base. Top with the matching cookies that have the cutout center and gently press to sandwich.
- Dust with Powdered Sugar: Generously dust the tops with powdered sugar to add sweetness and the classic Linzer cookie look.
- Serve or Store: Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients for best mixing and texture consistency.
- If you prefer, substitute almond extract for vanilla to enhance the almond flavor.
- Gluten-free flour with xanthan gum is necessary to mimic gluten's binding properties for good cookie structure.
- Chilling the dough helps prevent spreading and makes cutting easier.
- Jam choice is flexible—apricot or strawberry work well too.
- Recipe yields about 48 cookies, perfect for holiday gifting or parties.
- Cookies keep well and even improve in flavor after a day or two.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
