These cookies began as “Strawberry and Apricot Linzertorte Hearts,” adapted from a 1996 Gourmet magazine recipe. Perfect for Valentine’s Day or Christmas, I first encountered them in a different setting: years ago I found the recipe on Epicurious while training for a half-marathon to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. My summer fundraising included bake sales outside local supermarkets, which led me to form firm opinions about what belongs (and what doesn’t) at a successful bake sale. In my view, these linzertorte cookies—especially when cut into heart shapes—are ideal bake sale fare.
What makes a great bake sale cookie? Let’s be frank: appearance matters. Taste is essential, of course, but an attractive package sells. An 8‑year‑old leaving the supermarket is far more likely to persuade their parents to buy a neatly wrapped cellophane bundle of crisp, jewel‑like, heart‑shaped cookies than a bag of uneven oatmeal cookies. (My least favorite contribution is frosting‑wrapped brownies—plain brown, often squashed and greasy in warm weather.) These linzertorte cookies are both beautiful and genuinely delicious.
I’ve adapted the original method in a few useful ways. The Epicurious recipe suggests pulsing the ingredients in a full‑size food processor to make the dough; lacking one, I use the creaming method and get excellent results. The original calls for rolling the dough to 1/4‑inch thickness, but I prefer a thinner 1/8‑inch so the sandwich cookie isn’t overly bready after filling. The recipe also recommends a 3 1/2‑inch heart cutter; I often use a mix of sizes or slightly smaller cutters to produce a variety of cookies.
These cookies are not the quickest to make. You’ll need to chill the dough frequently while rolling, and the cycle of rolling, chilling, cutting, and re‑rolling takes more time than it seems it should. Still, the patient baker is rewarded—these cookies are always worth the effort.
Linzertorte Cookies
Adapted from Epicurious.com.
Ingredients
-
1 1/2
c (150 g)
blanched almonds
toasted and cooled -
3
tbsp
granulated sugar -
2 1/4
c (315 g)
all-purpose flour -
1/2
c (60 g)
cornstarch -
1/2
tsp
cinnamon -
3/4
tsp
salt -
3/4
tsp
finely grated lemon zest -
2 1/4
sticks (254 g)
unsalted butter
(not fridge cold) -
1
c (120 g)
confectioner’s sugar -
1
large egg -
1
large egg yolk -
2/3
c
apricot jam
heated, strained, and cooled -
2/3
c
strawberry jam
heated, strained, and cooled
Instructions
-
Pulse the almonds with the granulated sugar in a food processor or grind them finely by another method, then set aside.
-
Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.
-
In a large bowl, cream the butter with the confectioner’s sugar and lemon zest using an electric mixer. Add the egg and egg yolk and mix until combined. Fold in the ground almonds and the dry flour mixture until just combined.
-
Divide the dough in half, press each half into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 3 days.
-
Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).
-
Remove one dough disk and roll it between sheets of parchment or plastic wrap to about 1/8 inch thickness. Transfer to a baking sheet and freeze for 10–12 minutes to firm up.
-
Cut cookies with a 2‑ to 3 1/2‑inch heart or round cutter. For half the cookies, use a smaller cutter to remove the center (these will be the tops). Re‑roll scraps as needed, returning the dough to the freezer between rollings. Arrange bottoms and tops on parchment‑lined baking sheets spaced about 1/2 inch apart; keep trays chilled in the refrigerator while you prepare more.
-
Bake full sheets for 12–15 minutes, until edges just begin to turn golden. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookies.
-
When cookies are cool, spread about a teaspoon of jam on each bottom and top with the cut‑out pieces. Add a little extra jam if needed to fill the centers.
-
Serve the same day, or store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, separating layers with wax paper.
Recipe Notes
- To freeze dough: wrap tightly in plastic and place in a freezer bag for up to one month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.
- While the original calls for apricot and strawberry jam, you can substitute other fruity preserves. If using raspberry jam, consider a seeded variety that you heat and strain for best texture.
- Linzer tops are often dusted with powdered sugar, but this is optional; the plain look is attractive and tidy.
- If you don’t have a food processor, a mini processor can grind the almonds, or substitute 150 g almond flour or almond meal.
