I love these cookies because they feel both nostalgic and elegant. The cut-out centers, the ruby-colored jam, the soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture — everything comes together most festively. They’re perfect for gifting, bringing to a holiday party, or enjoying with a hot cup of tea by the tree.
Below is the full recipe, including the easy dough, the baking steps, and how to assemble them with the preserves. They look impressive, but they’re truly beginner-friendly and fun to make.
Christmas Linzer Cookies with Raspberry Preserves
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: German
Servings: About 20–24 cookies
Ingredients (International Measurements)
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (US/CA)
360 g plain flour (UK) - ¾ cup white sugar
150 g caster or granulated sugar - ½ teaspoon kosher salt
2.5 g fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups softened butter
340 g unsalted butter - 2 tablespoons water
30 ml water - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 ml vanilla extract
Filling & Dusting
- ¾ cup raspberry preserves
240 g raspberry jam - Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F / 180°C (160°C fan).
In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the softened butter, sugar, and vanilla extract just until combined. You don’t want it overly whipped—just smooth.
Add the flour, water, and salt. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together into a soft, even mass. Press it into a flat disk, wrap it well, and chill in the refrigerator for 30–60 minutes.
Lightly flour your work surface and roll the chilled dough to about ¼ inch (0.6 cm) thickness. Cut out your cookies, then use a smaller cutter to make cut-out centers in half of the cookies. If the dough becomes too soft, place it back in the fridge for a few minutes.
Transfer the cut cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment and chill again for 15 minutes.
Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the edges turn lightly golden. Allow the cookies to cool completely before assembling.
Dust the top cookies (the ones with cut-outs) with powdered sugar. Spread a thin layer of raspberry preserves on the bottom cookies, then gently sandwich them together.
Notes
The bright red jam looks beautiful against the powdered sugar—dusting just before serving keeps the cookies looking their best. If your dough gets warm, simply chill it again. While raspberry is traditional, strawberry, cherry, or apricot preserves also work wonderfully.