I adore Linzer Cookies and now I can have them Gluten Free? I’m in love! I’ve always been partial to heart shaped cookies especially this time of year. These are crisp and golden sandwiched with sweet raspberry jam and showered with snowy white powdered sugar. Hearts are everywhere and love is in the air 🙂 Normally, I would use my shortbread recipe for these but because it’s not a gluten free recipe, I’ve come up with an alternative.
There’s a new gluten free flour blend in the marketplace and I’ve been trying it out with several recipes. It’s called Cup4Cup and you use it just like you would use regular all purpose flour. It’s super easy to work with and you know, I’m all about making life easier! Since I love their gluten free blend so much I thought I’d try the linzer cookie recipe right from their site and though it’s not original to me, it’s easy to follow and turns out a lovely gluten free Linzer Cookie. You can see their recipe here.
These are so pretty when they’re done and I guarantee your kids will love helping you make them. They will enjoy helping you spread the jam and sprinkle the powdered sugar. But mostly, they’ll love helping you eat each crunchy, sweet bite! Make someone happy today, bake them up some Linzer Hearts!!
Enjoy!
Linzer Cookies–Gluten Free
- 1 cup butter, softened
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups gluten free flour blend
- ⅔ cup almond flour
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup seedless raspberry jam
- Powdered sugar, for finishing
- In a small bowl, combine flour, almond flour and cinnamon. Whisk to incorporate well; set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together softened butter with granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla, mix on low until fully incorporated. On low speed, add in flour mixture and mix until just combined. Dough will be very soft.
- Divide dough into 2 pieces and press the dough into small disks about 1 inch thick. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours and until very firm.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- On a floured work surface, roll out one disk of dough to ⅛ inch thick. Keep all remaining dough refrigerated until ready to use. I use heart shaped cookie cutters for this but use whatever you like. Cut out half the dough with a large heart shaped cookie cutter and carefully place cookies on a parchment covered cookie sheet using a spatula dipped in flour. Put all scraps in the fridge to keep them cold as you work. This is a delicate dough so I roll it out between 2 sheets of parchment paper. It's much easier to work with that way.
- Bake the first batch of cookies 12 minutes, rotating cookie sheet halfway through the baking time.
- Now cut out the other half of your dough with your large cutter and then use a smaller one to cut out the middle of the cookie. (When it's time to assemble, these are the ones you will dust with powdered sugar and place on top of your solid hearts.)
- NOTE: Dough scraps may be formed into a disk, wrapped and chilled for several minutes and then re-rolled and cut.
- Bake your second batch of cookies for 10-12 minutes until they're a light golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 3-4 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Make an even number of tops and bottoms.
- To assemble, invert fully cooled bottom cookies and spread each with about a teaspoon of jam. Dust each of the top cookies with powdered sugar. Very gently, place top cookies on top of the bottom cookies to form a sandwich. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Kate’s Tips
- Instead of making jam filled hearts, dip your cookies in melted chocolate for a yummy treat.
- No cookie cutters? No problem, make jam thumbprints! Just take about a tablespoon of dough, roll into a ball and press your thumb in the center. Fill with jam and bake.
- Instead of almond flour feel free to substitute another nut flour, like hazelnut, if you’d like.
- Speaking of hazelnuts, instead of raspberry jam, try filling your cookies with Nutella or my favorite, Justin’s Natural Chocolate Hazelnut Butter. To die for amazing!
- Use any jam you like. I use this one: Bonne Maman Raspberry Preserves. Other than my homemade Raspberry Jam, this is my favorite!
- I use a French Rolling Pin
to make these cookies. I find it easier to work with than a regular handled pin.
- Make sure you keep your dough cold. If you find the dough is pulling apart as you are trying to place them on the cookie sheet, just place the dough back in the fridge to firm up for a couple of minutes. They are so much easier to work with when the dough is cold.
- It’s best to sandwich these together the day you serve them because the jam could cause them to soften. You can do the baking a day ahead and the sandwiching on the day you’re going to eat them.
- Depending on the size of your cookie cutters, you’ll get anywhere from 18-24 Linzer Cookies.
Here’s to a love filled Valentines day to you and your family!
xoxo
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