These chocolate Linzer cookies are made with a traditional, almond-enriched dough that’s spiced with cinnamon and cardamom. The filling is an intensely chocolatey semi-sweet chocolate ganache that’s flavored with orange zest.
For more delicious Christmas cookies, also check out these spiced raspberry Linzer cookies!
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What’s in the cookie dough?
What’s in the filling?
Recipe tips and notes:
- Be sure to use blanched almond flour for the cookie dough. (Blanched almond flour does not contain the tough, dark almond skins.)
- Be sure to use a chocolate bar and not morsels for the filling. Morsels have stabilizers in them that prevent proper melting.
- You can set the cookies closely together on the baking sheet (~¾-inch apart). They won’t spread much at all during baking.
- You can gather and re-roll the cookie dough scraps once.
- Here are instructions as to how to use a Linzer cookie cutter.
How to make the cookies:
See full ingredients & instructions in the recipe card below!
Step 1. Whisk together the dry ingredients.
Step 2. Whip butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until creamy, then whip in an egg, followed by the dry ingredients.
Step 3. Knead the dough into a ball, then cut the ball in half. Shape each half into a disk, wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill.
Step 4. Roll out the dough, cut out the cookies and bake.
How to make the filling:
See full ingredients & instructions in the recipe card below!
Step 1. Add semi-sweet chocolate and finely grated orange zest to a heatproof bowl. Bring heavy cream and unsalted butter to a boil, then pour over the chocolate and let sit for a minute.
Step 2. Whisk the mix until smooth.
Step 3. Spread a dollop of filling onto each whole cookie and top with a center cut out cookie.
How to serve the cookies:
These cookies make a beautiful addition to a Christmas cookie tray. Let the filling set fully (about 1 hour) before serving the cookies.
How to store the cookies:
The cookies can sit out at room temperature for at least 1 day. You can also freeze the dusted and filled cookies in a freezer bag.
More delicious Holiday sweets:
- Apple Frangipane Tart with Cranberries, Orange and Cardamom1 Hours 20 Minutes
- Holiday Oatmeal Cookies with Bourbon Drizzle1 Hours 53 Minutes
- Spiced Raspberry Linzer Cookies1 Hours
- Mini Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Mousse Frosting8 Hours 25 Minutes
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Full Printable Recipe
Spiced Linzer Cookies with Orange Chocolate Ganache
Equipment:
- measuring cups and spoons
- citrus zester
- sieve
- kitchen scale
- mixing bowls
- whisk
- standing mixer or handheld mixer
- knife or bench scraper
- plastic wrap
- rolling pin
- linzer cookie cutter
- large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat
- small saucepan
Ingredients:
For the cookies:
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup almond flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- powdered sugar, for dusting
For the filling:
- 1 ½ teaspoons finely grated orange zest, packed (~1 large or 2 small oranges)
- 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 4 ½ tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions:
- In a bowl, whisk all-purpose flour, almond flour, cinnamon, cardamom and salt together. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whip butter and sugar together until well combined and creamy.
- Whip in the egg.
- Whip in the dry ingredients and keep whipping until the dough starts to clump together.
- Bring the dough together into a ball, cut the ball in half and shape each half into a disk.
- Wrap each disk in plastic and chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Take one disk out of the fridge, roll it out on a lightly floured surface, then cut out the cookies. (You can gather and re-roll the scraps once.)
- Bake the cookies on a large baking sheet* lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat for 14 minutes. Let the cookies cool and repeat with the second disk of dough.
- Sift powdered sugar onto the fully cooled cookies with the center cut out.
For the filling:
- Add chocolate and orange zest to a heatproof bowl. Set aside.
- In a saucepan, bring cream and butter to a boil.
- Pour the hot mix over the chocolate and let sit for a minute.
- Whisk until smooth.
- Spread a layer of filling onto each whole cookie, then top with a top cookie.
- Let the filling fully set (~1 hour) before serving the cookies.
Notes:
Nutrition Information (Estimated):
Nutrition values provided on this website are generated from a nutrition database and are estimates only. The accuracy of the nutrition information for any recipe on this website is not guaranteed. Nutrition values can vary quite a lot depending on which brands are used.
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