Pecan Linzer Cookies
Hello friends! As I mentioned in my last post, I’m just back from visiting Munich with my best friend and The Boyf. We were there for four days, and we visited eight of the larger markets on offer, as well a handful of little huts strategically dotted around. It! Was! Awesome! It was Christmas galore, and I was in my element. There were huts upon huts, selling everything you ever wanted, and even some things you didn’t! Wooden decorations, pottery, handmade jewelry, baked goods, and there was even a medieval hut selling furs and goblets! There was even a cookie cutter hut! And it was snowing!
Within a day of discovering the cookie cutter hut, I was scouring every single cutter looking for the one. Turns out the one for me was a mini Christmas tree! It was love at first sight. I made up a song about it, talked about it non-stop, and took it out of my bag at any possible opportunity to admire its littleness. I blame the Glühwein.
WHAT ARE LINZER COOKIES?
Linzer Cookies are originally from a town in Austria called Linz. They are distinctive because of the little “window” cut into the top cookie that allows you to see what the filling is. Traditionally, Linzer Cookies are flavored with ground almonds and filled with redcurrant jam, but I branched out a bit. I’ve made mine with brown butter, ground pecans, and filled them with caramel, Nutella, or cherry jam.
pecan linzer cookies
I’m not going to sugar-coat it, these Pecan Linzer Cookies are a bit more hands-on than your average cookie – but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make them! They’re buttery, nutty, and luxurious. They are also so damn adorable. The only issue – and it’s really nothing if you’re patient! – is that the dough is super soft, and therefore harder to work with. Whenever my dough got too soft to work with, I popped the whole tray into the freezer for 5-minutes. As soon as they firm up, they’re easy to work with, but this is something to bare in mind.
I’ll be including these Pecan Linzer Cookies in my Christmas Cookie Box this year and I can hardly wait! They’re somewhat similar to a shortbread in texture, but the flavour is deeper and nuttier. The fillings feel like a treat, and all pair very well with the pecan in the dough. If you’re looking to keep it simple, sandwich the cookies together with raspberry jam!
Pecan Linzer Cookies
Brown Butter Pecan Linzer Cookies, baked and filled with homemade caramel – perfect for gifting!
C O O K10 minutes mins
Yield: 15 cookies
Author: Passionate Baker
INGREDIENTS
220 g plain flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
175 g caster sugar
100 g pecans, roughly chopped
190 g butter, browned & left to cool – final weight should be ~170g
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large egg yolks
various fillings – jam, nutella, caramel
icing sugar, for dusting
DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour & baking powder. Set aside.
Using a food processor or similar, pulse together the pecans & sugar until finely ground – about 30-seconds. Be careful not to grind for too long, as the nuts will start to release oils.
In a large bowl, combine the pecan mix, the cooled butter, and the vanilla extract. Beat together until well combined, scraping down the mixing bowl. Add the egg yolks and beat until homogenous.
With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour until just incorporated and come together. Divide the mixture in two, and wrap each half well in cling film. Shape the halves into disks and place in the fridge for 1.5-2-hours, until firm.
Preheat the oven to 180°C & line two baking trays with parchment paper. Set aside.
Remove one disk from the fridge. In between two sheets of parchment paper, roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thick. Lightly dip your cookie cutter in flour & cut out as many cookies as you can – rerolling out the scraps as needs be. The dough is extremely soft, so speed is needed. If at any point it gets too warm to work with, pop the whole tray into the freezer for 5-minute increments. Place on to one of the prepared sheets & pop back in the fridge for at least 15-minutes.
Repeat this rolling out process with the second disk of dough, ensuring that you get the same amount of cookies. Using a smaller cookie cutter, punch out holes from the centre of each cookie. Place on the second tray & return to the fridge for at least 15-minutes.
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, rotating the trays half way through. The cookies should be lightly golden with set edges, but they will still be very soft. Leave to cool on the baking tray for 10-minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Dust the cutout cookies with a light layer of icing sugar. Turn over the whole cookies & spread with a layer of your desired fillings, before popping a cutout cookie on top and sandwiching the two together.
NOTES
You can freeze unbaked Linzer cookies so easily. Place them on a baking sheet until frozen before transferring to a freezer bag for longer storage. Bake from frozen, adding on an extra minute or two.
Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 3-days.
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to know! Please leave a comment & a rating below, or tag me on Instagram @imvcki. Thank you so much for supporting Passionate Baker!
why not include these in a holiday cookie box? here are more options:
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pecans
Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies
**POST UPDATED NOVEMBER 2020**
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