Sugar Plum Linzer Cookie Recipe

Cue the Christmas music! This year, I’m kicking off my holiday baking with these mouthwatering sugar plum Linzer cookies. I’ve filled classic, easy-to-make buttery shortbread cookies with sweet plum jam and dusted them with a coat of powdered sugar for this Linzer cookie recipe. They’re so delicious — and festive!

Sugar Plum Linzer Cookie Recipe

While these pretty little sandwich cookies can be enjoyed all year round, they are especially popular during the holidays. And with their powdered sugar topping and cute cutout windows, they sure make a gorgeous addition to a holiday cookie tray!

Linzer cookies are named after the Linzer Torte, a pastry with a dough lattice over a jam filling invented in the Austrian city of Linz. There are many variations, but most have a buttery dough base that contains nuts (hazelnuts or almonds).

Like their namesake, Linzer cookies are filled with jam and have a cut-out center. Many recipes also call for using ground nuts in the dough. For this version, though, I went for a more traditional shortbread cookie recipe and left the nuts out.

Cookie Ingredients:

Ready to bake? All you need is these 6 simple ingredients for this Linzer cookie recipe!

• BUTTER: This recipe calls for a lot of butter – 3/4 of a pound. Yep, that’s 3 sticks of butter. And make sure to use good quality butter in these cookies because you’ll be able to taste it.
• SUGAR: You’ll need a cup of granulated sugar for the dough plus confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar) for dusting.
• PURE VANILLA EXTRACT: Look for a high-quality “pure” vanilla extract. My brand of choice is Neilsen-Massey. Almond extract would also work well in these cookies.
• ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR: This recipe calls for 3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour.
• SALT: A little salt helps balance out the sweetness!
• PLUM JAM: I used sweet plum jam for this recipe for these plum jam cookies. I got mine from a local San Diego company, Jackie’s Jams. But you could also use any jam you like!

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Linzer Cookie Recipe Tips:

These plum cookies are pretty simple to make. But there are a few tricks to getting them to turn out great every time.

• COOL YOUR DOUGH: I recommend chilling your cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before using it. If you skip this step, the dough might be too warm to roll out easily. And your cookies will likely spread into shapeless puddles if you try to bake them!
• USE A COOKIE CUTTER SET: Make life easy for yourself and use a Linzer cookie cutter. I use this inexpensive Linzer cookie cutter set from Wilton. It comes with 6 different shape options and costs about $10 on Amazon.
• COOK THE TOPS AND BOTTOMS SEPARATELY: The tops will bake a bit faster than the bottoms since they have less dough.
• ADD THE POWDERED SUGAR: Add the coating of powdered sugar to the tops of the cookies BEFORE you put the cookies together. If you wait until you’ve assembled them, you’ll cover up the cut-out window with the sugar.
• STORING & FREEZING: These plum butter cookies are best eaten within two days. The jam will likely make the cookies soggy if they sit too long. You can make the dough ahead of time and freeze it. When ready to use it, thaw it in the refrigerator.

If you make this Linzer cookie recipe, let me know! Please comment below, rate the recipe, and/or tag me @growingupcali in your photo on Instagram. I appreciate your feedback!

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Sugar Plum Linzer Cookie Recipe

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• Author: Laura | Growing Up Cali
• Total Time: 60 minutes (including to chill dough)
• Yield: About 2 dozen 1x

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Description

These classic buttery shortbread sandwich cookies are filled with sweet plum jam and dusted with powdered sugar. They’re easy to make and perfectly on theme for the holidays.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup plum jam, or flavor of your choice
• Confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar), for dusting

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Instructions

1. PREP: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet or two with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
2. BEAT SUGAR, BUTTER & VANILLA: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until combined. Add the vanilla extract.
3. MIX DRY INGREDIENTS & COMBINE: Sift together the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Next, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together.
4. CHILL: Dump the dough onto a surface dusted with flour. Shape the dough into a flat disk and wrap it in plastic and then chill for at least 30 minutes. You can also divide the dough into two discs and freeze one for later use.
5. ROLL OUT DOUGH & FORM COOKIES: On a lightly floured surface, use a floured rolling pin to roll out the disc of cookie dough until it’s 1/4-inch thick. Using the Linzer cookie cutters, cut dough into an equal number of solid bottom and top cookies (with the cut-out design). If the dough cracks, wait a few minutes for the dough to warm up. Reroll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all of the dough is used. 
6. BAKE: Place the cookies on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart. You might want to bake the tops and the bottoms separately because the tops will cook a bit faster (less dough). Bake until the edges of the cookies are just beginning to turn golden, about 10 minutes for the tops and 11 minutes for the bottoms. 
7. COOL & ASSEMBLE: Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Then, dust the top cookies with confectioners’ sugar and transfer all of the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before assembling. Spread 1/2 teaspoon of plum jam on each bottom cookie. Then, carefully top each with a top cookie and press down gently to create a cookie sandwich. 
8. STORE: Store the cookies at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Notes

Cool Your Dough: I recommend chilling your cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before using it. 

Use a Linzer Cookie Cutter Set: Make life easy for yourself and use a Linzer cookie cutter. I use this inexpensive Linzer cookie cutter set from Wilton. It comes with 6 different shape options and costs about $10 on Amazon. 

Adding the Powdered Sugar: Add the coating of powdered sugar to the tops of the cookies BEFORE you put the cookies together. If you wait until you’ve already assembled them, you’ll cover up the cut-out window.

Storing and Freezing: These cookies are best eaten within two days. If they sit too long, the jam will likely make the cookie soggy. You can make the dough ahead of time and freeze it. When you’re ready to use it, just thaw it in the refrigerator.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Dessert, Cookies
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: Holiday

Nutrition

• Serving Size:
• Calories: 221
• Sugar: 13.4 g
• Sodium: 26.6 mg
• Fat: 11.7 g
• Carbohydrates: 27.4 g
• Protein: 2 g
• Cholesterol: 30.5 mg

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