Shortbread Linzer Cookies with Raspberry Jam

Shortbread linzer cookies are chewy and buttery shortbread cookies with a cranberry raspberry jam filling. This festive twist on a classic Christmas recipe makes the prettiest jam sandwich cookies for the holiday season!

Raspberry linzer cookies are a classic Christmas cookie recipe that I made in bakeries for years!

When I retired as a pastry chef, I knew this was one cookie I wanted to put my own twist on.

I made these shortbread linzer cookies years ago for my friends and family and they loved them!

Instead of traditional almond dough, this recipe uses a shortbread linzer cookie dough that’s nut-free and much easier to work with. They taste just like sugar cookies!

For more Christmas cookie recipes, try chocolate thumbprint cookies, chocolate chip candy cane cookies, chocolate marshmallow cookies, and molasses crinkle cookies.

why this recipe is the best

• Easy recipe: This recipe uses simple pantry ingredients and can be made with store-bought jam instead of homemade.
• Raspberry filling: The center of the cookies is filled with raspberry, cranberry, and port wine jam. It’s the most delicious sweet and tart combination!
• Great for holiday cookie boxes: These cookies are so pretty once assembled and will make great additions to your holiday cookie box.

ingredient notes

Full ingredient measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card below!

• Corn starch: This will absorb extra moisture in the dough to help the cookies maintain their shape after baking.
• Butter: The temperature of the butter is important for cookie dough. Pull it out 1-2 hours before baking depending on how hot your kitchen is. It should feel soft but not look greasy.
• Vanilla: Use a high-quality vanilla extract for the best flavor! You can use vanilla bean paste for even more flavor.
• Egg: The added egg gives the cookies an extra chewy texture.

• Cranberries: You can use frozen or fresh cranberries. Frozen cranberries will cook down faster than fresh ones, which is what I recommend.
• Raspberries: Like cranberries, frozen ones are recommended as they will break down faster.
• Port wine: Any brand of Port wine can be used for this recipe. I don’t recommend using another kind of wine because you want the super sweet flavor to balance out the tart berries.

recipe instructions

Here’s how to make these linzer tart cookies! You will need a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer to make the shortbread dough. You will also need a few baking sheets, parchment paper, a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter, and a 1-inch cutter.

STEP ONE: Cream the butter and sugar. Cream the unsalted butter and white sugar on low for 1-2 minutes or until light and fluffy.

STEP TWO: Mix in the wet ingredients. Mix in the room temperature egg and vanilla extract on low until just combined. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula.

STEP THREE: Mix in the dry ingredients. Mix in the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and salt on low speed until just combined. The dough should look crumbly and start to stick together with no dry pockets of flour.

STEP FOUR: Split and chill the dough. Divide the dough in half, wrap them loosely in plastic wrap, and use a rolling pin to roll them into a flat disc. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

STEP FIVE: Make the raspberry jam. In a small pot, combine the cranberries, raspberries, brown sugar, and port wine. Cook over medium heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally and mashing the berries until the jam is very thick.

Transfer it to a small bowl and place it in the fridge to chill completely before using.

STEP SIX: Roll the dough. Once firm, unwrap the dough and place each slab in between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Then transfer both slabs (still sandwiched in the parchment paper) to a baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes. 

STEP SEVEN: Cut out the linzer cookies. Using a 2 1/2″ round cookie cutter, cut out an even number of cookies. Then gather the scrap dough, roll, and repeat. 

Once all the dough is cut, cut out the center of half of the cookies with a smaller, decorative cutter and transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

STEP EIGHT: Chill, bake, and decorate! Chill the cutout cookies in the freezer for at least one hour, or until frozen solid. Then bake them at 350 F for about 10-12 minutes, or until the tops look matte and the bottoms are very light brown.

Once cool, dust the tops of the cookies with the centers cut out with powdered sugar.

Then flip the bottom cookies upside down and spread about one teaspoon of jam onto the center, spreading it slightly, and sandwich the cut-out cookie on top.

expert baking tips

• Don’t overbake the cookies. You want them to be pretty pale around the edges and have a matte (not wet) top. This will keep them soft and chewy! For my oven, 11 minutes is perfect! If you crave a crispier cookie, bake them for 1-2 minutes longer.
• Chill the dough. Because these cookies are quite thin, the dough can be very hard to work with if it gets too warm. Keep the dough chilled when you’re not working with it! And chill it in between rolling and cutting.
• Use a kitchen scale. Baking with a scale is much more accurate than cup measurements. To convert this recipe, click the “metric” button next to the ingredients title on the recipe card.
• Freeze the cookies before baking. To keep their shape and keep them from spreading, freeze them completely before baking.

variations

• Filling: You can fill these cookies with your favorite fruit jam, preserves, lemon curd, chocolate ganache, or anything else you desire!
• Cookie flavor: The traditional linzer flavor is almond so if you are looking for that almond flavor, replace half of the vanilla extract with almond extract.

faqs

more cookie recipes to try

If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!

The calorie information provided for the recipe is an estimate.

I first published this recipe in 2020. I’ve since updated the post for clarity, but the recipe remains the same.