These crispy, buttery raspberry Linzer cookies are filled with a delicious jam that is flavored with ginger and cardamom. The cookies are easy to make and the raspberry jam takes only a few minutes on the stovetop.
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How to make the jam:
It’s very easy to make this particular jam because it only requires the stovetop; there is no canning involved here.
Step 1. In a small saucepan, combine 6 ounces frozen raspberries, 1/2 teaspoon corn starch and 1/4 cup granulated sugar.
Step 2. Cook the mix until all the raspberries are thawed.
Step 3. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger (or 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger) and 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom and continue to cook the mix until the fruit is broken down and you have a jam-like consistency. (Note that the jam will thicken more as it cools).
While the jam is cooling, make the cookies.
How to make Linzer cookies:
The actual Linzer cookies are very straight-forward shortbread cookies that are flavored with a touch of vanilla.
Step 1. In a mixing bowl, whip together 12 tablespoons softened, unsalted butter and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until they’re nice and creamy.
Step 2. Whip in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1.5 cups and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour and a pinch of salt. Continue to whip until the dough gets crumbly enough to start to come together (this will take a few minutes).
Step 3. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead into a ball by hand.
Step 4. Cut the ball in half.
Step 5. Knead each half into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Step 6. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F., then take both disks out of the fridge and roll them out.* (If the dough is hard and/or tears easily, let it sit for a few minutes to warm up and become more pliable.)
*RECIPE NOTE: You want to roll out the cookie dough without adding additional flour and to do that I recommend rolling it between two sheets of plastic wrap. Remove the plastic before cutting out the cookies.
Step 7. Cut out the cookies with a Linzer cookie cutter. Gather and reroll the scraps.
RECIPE NOTE: Here are instructions on how to use a Linzer cookie cutter.
Step 8. Bake the cookies on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats until they start to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely.
Step 9. Sift powdered sugar onto each top cookie.
Step 10 & 11. Spread a little bit of jam on each bottom cookie and stack into a sandwich cookie.
How to store the cookies:
You can let the cookies sit on a tray for several hours. If you want to keep them longer than that, I recommend transferring them into a freezer bag and freezing them. The cookies will keep their crispness this way and they thaw again very quickly on the kitchen counter.
I don’t recommend storing the cookies in an airtight container because that will cause them to go soft.
Occasions to serve the cookies:
These cookies are great year-round and also make a delightful holiday treat, whether it’s the winter holidays, Valentine’s day or any other holiday.
More cookie recipes you’ll love:
- Crispy Vanilla Bean Shortbread Cookies
- Spiced Linzer Cookies with Dulce de Leche
- Oatmeal Coconut Cookies with Bourbon Drizzle
- Pumpkin Spice Hazelnut Cookies
Made this recipe? It would be awesome if you could leave a rating. Either tap or click the stars in the recipe card or leave a comment below. Thanks!
Recipe Card
Linzer Cookies with Ginger Cardamom Raspberry Jam
Ingredients:
For the ginger cardamom raspberry jam:
- 6 ounces frozen raspberries
- ½ teaspoon corn starch
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (or ½ teaspoon powdered ginger)
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
For the cookies:
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- pinch of salt
- powdered sugar
Instructions:
For the ginger cardamom raspberry jam:
- Add frozen raspberries, corn starch and sugar to a saucepan and start to cook on medium heat, stirring until everything is combined.
- Once the raspberries are thawed, add the ginger and the cardamom.
- Cook until the fruit is completely broken down and the jam thickened (about 10 minutes).
- Let cool.
For the cookies:
- Beat butter and granulated sugar until well combined and creamy.
- Beat in the vanilla extract.
- Add the flour and the salt and beat until the dough starts to get crumbly (this will take a few minutes).
- Turn the dough out onto a work surface and bring together into a ball by hand.
- Cut the ball into two halves, shape each half into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap.
- Chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Take the disks out of the fridge and roll them out between two sheets of plastic wrap.* (If the dough is hard and/or tears easily, let it sit for a few minutes to warm up and become more pliable.)
- Remove the plastic wrap, then cut out the cookies and bake them on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats until they start to brown (12 to 15 minutes).
- Let the cookies cool completely.
- Sift powdered sugar onto the cookies with the cut-out centers.
- Spoon a little bit of jam onto the whole cookies and top with a cut-out center cookie.
Azu
Love the combination of spices in the jam! I’m crazy about spices, so I would add a pinch of cardamom to the dough as well. Thanks for sharing
Nicole B.
That is a great idea, why didn’t I think of that? Thank you so much for coming by, Azu! :)
Claudia | The Brick Kitchen
Oh those cookie cutters are gorgeous! I got myself a set on special recently but haven’t gotten around to using them, so thank you for the inspiration! Love the star cut out in the centre too, and I can imagine that the spices in the jam would give it a lovely flavour <3
Nicole B.
Thank you, Claudia! They are so much fun to make, you’ll love it! :)
Shinee
I love (LOVE) crumbly, buttery cookies!! And no, I don’t have Linzer cookie cutter, and now I’m shopping on Amazon for it. Your cookies look so pretty, Nicole!!
Nicole B.
Thank you, Shinee! It was so much fun to make these, I have a feeling there will be many more Linzer cookies coming on The Spice Train… :)
Angela - Patisserie Makes Perfect
These are so lovely Nicole. I really need to make some Linzer pies/tarts and biscuits, they look so cute.
Nicole B.
Thank you, Angela! They do look cute, don’t they? I love that cookie cutter set. :)
CakePants
Wow, these are gorgeous! And ginger cardamom raspberry jam sounds heavenly…I’ve never tried my hand at making homemade jam, but I’ll have to look into it!
Nicole B.
Thank you so much! This jam is super-easy to make and takes just a few minutes, I love it. :)