Linzer Cookies
6:34 AM
By far these are the best cookies I have ever baked. These have almost a melting in the mouth texture. Especially, when eaten all dressed up with a heavy shower of castor sugar and sandwiched with jam…these are simply ittesistible. If the pictures don’t testify the taste I will appeal you to make a small batch (which I promise you will regret later) to see it yourself.
Baking in India is not very easy, and I guess all bloggers residing in India , serious in baking, will agree with me. Starting from a mere necessity like muffin liners to very little known ……paper you don’t get things easily even in big cities like Bangalore. I have drooled and drooled and almost turned green with envy every time saw bloggers baking good breads (everyone will tastify especially Aipi)…now that I have found the perfect instant yeast (all thanks to Suma) I am in constant fear that what will I do if they stop stocking this specific brand. So when saw this Linzer cookies recipe in Good House Keeping, I instantly fell in love with these but was not sure where to find hazelnut…so like every time I again tried to replace it. This time with the huge stock of Almonds I had after Diwali.
Soon I was roasting the almonds and measuring flour. Making of the cookies are easy if you roll the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap. Linzer cookies are cut with special cookie cutters specially made for this. I dint have any so again used 2 big and small bottle caps for the round ones (oops! now Hubby will know why the medicine bottle cap was missing for a couple of days) and a small heart shape cookie cutter for the smaller ones. Loved making every minute of it as these were my first sandwiched cookies but what made me content is my baby’s love for it.
This morning when I finished clicking suddenly he woke up and came to the room. He looked at the cookies and exclaimed “Bi Bi (biscuits)’’…I handed him one. He first licked the top coat of sugar and with a happy face declared “bhayo (bhalo or good)”, then he opened the top cookie and with his finger ate all the jam. Once the jam was finished he came to me demanding “abar abar (that literally means again but he says this also to mean some more). I loved every moment of it. Watching our kids grow is the most wonderful experience of life, and when they appreciate the the food we cook, thats the best reward.
Between did you know Linzer cookies are actually is adapted from the very famous Linzer Torte named after the city of Linz in Austria. Linzer Torte is a holiday classic in the Austrian, Hungarian, Swiss, German, and Tirolean traditions, often eaten at Christmas. Linzer Torte is often made like small tarts or cookies in North American bakeries.(wiki)
Here is the recipe
Linzer Cookies
(Yields 2 dozens medium size)
Ingredients:
Flour: 11/2 cups
Almond: 1 cup loosely packed (if you get almond or hazelnut meal use 2/3 cup)
Butter: 6 tbsp
Sugar: 1/2 cup
Pinch of salt
Egg: 1
Cinnamon powder: ¼ tsp
Vanilla/lemon essence: ½ tsp
Baking powder: ¼ tsp
For sandwiching: Jam (I used strawberry jam which I thinned a little with strawberry syrup)
Castor sugar: for dusting
Method:
Take the almond in a micro proof bowl and cover with water. Microwave for 2-3 minutes. Take out, rinse with cold water. Drain all the water and spread on a newspaper. Press almond between your finger the skin will come off easily.
Now dry roast the almonds in a skillet till it release a nice nutty aroma. Take off and let it completely before doing anything with it.
Grind the nuts with the sugar to a very fine dust texture. Do it by pulsing several times and make sure the nuts don’t release oil.
Now with n nelectric mixer or a spatula cream the butter, add the sugar-nut mixture and cream once again. To this add the egg and vanilla. Mix well.
Tip in the flour-baking powder mixture in two batches, combing well after every addition. Make a sticky dough.
Divide it in two equal part, cover with plastic wrap and pat to make a 1/2" thick disk. Chill for 30 minutes.
Once you are ready to bake preheat the oven at 175 C.
Make sure that you cut one top and one bottom layer for the cookies. Cut out small circles or any shape of your choice on the middle of the top cookie. (see notes)
Repeat till all the dough is finished.
Place them on a greased cookie tray and bake for 12-14 minutes or till the sides turn a little golden brown.
Before serving dust the top cookie with generous shower of castor sugar, and put jam on the bottom one. Sandwich and serve.
A Homemaker’s Note:
- Make sure you cut a pair of cookies for the finished one. One cookie with a cut out at the center and the other whole.
- You can alternatively pulse the almond with ¼ cup flour as well.
- Here are some variations that fellow bloggers recently baked…
- Soma’s Hazelnut Linzer cookies
- Deeba’s walnut linzer cookies
- Put jam only when you want to serve it or it will become soft.
So what did you bake this year for Christmas???
Events:
1. Champa's Bake off.
3. Its the time to Jingle again at Asan khana.
Tags:
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Posts
35 comments
U have done these cookies very nicely....I would love to try this almond version sometime...and I totally agree with U about bakers problems in India, in my last trip to India tried to ice a cake for his nephew's b'day after almost 45 min. of trial turned the whip cream into choc. sauce & drizzled it over the cake, that was the only best option I was left with....
ReplyDeleteI'm sure your little one must have finished all the cookies by now or may be same day....
Prefect and elegant linzer cookies, u have done tremendously dear..
ReplyDeleteWowww wat a fantastic, prefect and drool worthy coookies..
ReplyDeleteThe cookies a stunners Sayantani!
ReplyDeletebeautiful cookies looks wonderful
ReplyDeletehappy holidays
gr8 effort...luks perfect..got to try during ths vacation...
ReplyDeletehttp://hasnasdelights.blogspot.com/
cookies looks lovely and yummy
ReplyDeleteThese are so very cute. Happy Holidays and Have a very Happy New year with baby and family
ReplyDeleteOh they looks gorgeous very festive merry Christmas :)
ReplyDeleteDelicious and beautiful cookies.
ReplyDeletethe cookies look super cute and delish! wonderful job!
ReplyDeleteooooohh the temptation! :)
ReplyDeleteLoved your little guy's reaction!
Hey,
ReplyDeleteNice ones dear...Love them...pefrectly made...Check out the event in my blog too!!:)
Dr.Sameena@
http://www.myeasytocookrecipes.blogspot.com/
Cookies look so perfect . Love the look of it.
ReplyDeleteDeepa
Hamaree Rasoi
Wow..Sayantani..Its a feast for the eyes..Awesome pictures..Seems like you had a lot of fun with these clicks..The Cookies look remarkable..and just so gorgeous...Send me some..
ReplyDeleteWow so tempting and interesting....
ReplyDeleteKurinji
Thanks everyone for all your good words.
ReplyDelete@Spice, thanks a ton dear. the kantha work purses that I sent for arusuvai is not made by me, rather they re from our workshop. thanks for the complement though.
awesome....cookies..you made them perfectly..:)
ReplyDeleteI second you on the difficulty in getting baking gear in India! These cookie are real treats.Yours have come out beautifully!
ReplyDeleteThese cookies do look gorgeous, with perfect center and shape. Beautiful clicks, Sayamtini. Happy holidays.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully made cookies, real feast to the eyes and tummy! Have a great weekend and Happy new Year..
ReplyDeleteawesome cookies... love the clicks...
ReplyDeleteYou wont believe it...but I was talking to my hubby that you do so much of baking in Bangalore, where as when I was in Pune...I could hardly find stuff around!!!! Hats off to you!! Dont lose heart and keep up the good work. This cookies have turned out to real beauties!!!
ReplyDeleteAmazing!!Linzer cookies at home???Superb!!Happy Holidays to you!!
ReplyDeleteAwesome Linzer cookies..Nice presentation..wish to taste some :)
ReplyDeleteawesome cookies...delicious and tempting...loved it...wishing you a merry Christmas too
ReplyDeleteThey look so pretty! Wishing you and your family merry christmas and Happy New year.
ReplyDeleteCookies look awesome!Pictures look so lovely.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you It is hard to find few preliminary stuffs for baking in India - always wonder how seriously some bake with 100 Degree heat with outside weather and do the icing - they are really having passion :)
ReplyDeleteBut u ve done an awesome job with the cookies with any special cutter!
Merry Xmas to u and ur family!
Wish you and your family MERRY CHRISTMAS.
ReplyDeleteCookies looks tempting and I cannot resist myself. Wonderful presentation.
Hi Sayantani,great to visit your blog!You have a collection of some wonderful recipes...good job!
ReplyDeletePics are so gorgeous,looks really really yummy...
ReplyDeleteAwesome cookies ! Am sure they tasted as fantastic as they look! And ask me about baking problems in our country.. sigh!! Very good pics I must say, love to have these for my event, thank u!
ReplyDeletewow...such a beautiful cookie feast here! love all photos and your presenation =)
ReplyDeleteI loved these cookies too :-) It looks so wonderful.
ReplyDeleteTomar holiday recipe gulo darun!! love the candy canes:-)
have a wonderful year Sayantani. Wishing you that the new year brings you joy, warmth and everything that desire.