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 your holiday season!
Equipment
- 2 ½ inch round cookie cutter plus a small decorative cutter
Ingredients
For the Jam Filling
- 1 ½ cups frozen cranberries
- ½ cup frozen raspberries
- ¾ cup port wine
- ¼ cup light or dark brown sugar packed
For the Shortbread Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
Make the Jam
- In a small pot, cook the cranberries, raspberries, port wine and sugar over medium heat, stirring and smashing the berries occasionally, for about 25-30 minutes, or until the jam is super thick.
- Transfer the jam to a small bowl and allow to cool completely in the fridge before using.
Make the Cookie Dough
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, corn starch, and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar with the paddle for 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the egg and vanilla on low until just combined. Scrape down the bowl.
- Mix in the dry ingredients on low until just combined and the dough starts to come together.
- Divide the dough in half. Wrap each half loosley in plastic wrap, and use a rolling pin to roll them into a flat disc. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
- Once firm, unwrap the dough and place each slab in between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll the dough to ¼ inch thickness. Then transfer both slabs (still sandwiched in the parchment paper) to a baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes.
- Using a 2 ½" round cookie cutter, cut out an even number of cookies. Then gather the scrap dough, roll, and repeat. Once all the dough is cut, use a smaller, decorative cutter, to cut out the center of half of the cookies. Transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Freeze the cutout cookies for at least one hour, or until they are completely 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.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops look matte and the bottom edge is very light brown. (for my oven, 11 minutes is perfect!)
- 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. Sandwich the cut-out cookie on top and enjoy!
Notes
Step-by-step process photos are provided above, in the body of this post.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- Freeze the cookies before baking. To keep their shape and keep them from spreading, freeze them completely before baking.