Description
Delight in these festive Gluten-Free Linzer Cookies, featuring almond-flavored shortbread sandwiching sweet raspberry jam. Perfect for holidays, Valentine's Day, or any celebration, this easy recipe yields pretty and delicious cookies that everyone will love.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup butter or dairy-free butter (room temperature)
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups gluten free all purpose flour with xanthan gum
- 1 cup finely chopped almonds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Filling and Topping
- 1 cup raspberry jam or jam of choice
- ½ cup powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it reaches the correct temperature while you prepare the dough.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes for a smooth base.
- Add eggs and vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract to combine thoroughly.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, chopped almonds, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon for an even distribution.
- Combine wet and dry: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring just until a dough forms. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
- Chill the dough: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to make it easier to handle and enhance the texture.
- Roll out the dough: On a lightly floured surface with gluten-free flour, roll the dough to about ¼ inch thickness for uniform cookies.
- Cut out cookies: Use a round cookie cutter for the base and a smaller cutter for the center window on half of the cookies to create the sandwich effect.
- Bake: Place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until edges are lightly golden.
- Cool cookies: Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely to prevent the jam from melting when assembled.
- Assemble: Spread raspberry jam on the bottom side of whole cookies, then top with the cookies having cut-out centers, creating a beautiful sandwiched look.
- Dust with powdered sugar: Lightly sprinkle powdered sugar over the top cookies for a festive and sweet finish.
Notes
- This recipe makes approximately 48 cookies, perfect for sharing or gifting during holidays.
- You can substitute raspberry jam with your favorite flavor such as apricot or strawberry for variety.
- Use dairy-free butter to make this recipe vegan-friendly.
- Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature for best mixing results.
- Adding finely chopped almonds gives these cookies a distinctive nutty flavor and texture.
- Be careful not to overbake – cookies should be lightly golden but soft to keep their delicate texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
