Austrian Christmas Cookies – “Linzer Cookies”

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Linzer Cookies are miniature versions of the world-famous Linzer Torte. This cake is considered the oldest known cake (“Torte”) in the world and is one of the traditional foods in Austria.

In 1653, Countess Anna Margarita Sagramosa mentioned a recipe for Linzer Torte in her cookbook. Cookies and fine baked goods enjoyed great popularity in the wealthy social class of the 18th century and were not to be missed at coffee parties. Nowadays, we mainly associate the Christmas season with sticky hands and the smell of cookies.

The tradition of Christmas biscuits probably has its origins in the medieval monasteries. They could afford high-quality ingredients such as spices and nuts and made exquisite pastries to commemorate the birth of Jesus.

Today, there are far more ways to delight your loved ones with homemade cookies. The choice of cookie cutters in all shapes and sizes and the most diverse dough creations is not easy but the most important thing is the spices and of course the jam (Don’t you dare use strawberry jam, you aim for a contrast to the dough).

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For the dough:

500 g Wheat flour
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
Pinch of salt
250 g Butter
250 g Sugar, fine
125 ground Almonds (nope, no Almond flour)
2 Eggs

Currant jelly or Apricot jam
Powdered Sugar for dusting
Extra flour for the work surface

Instructions:

Mix the flour with the baking powder, place the butter in flakes on top, add the sugar, almonds, and eggs and knead quickly into a smooth dough. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 375F (170C) top and bottom heat.

Cut the dough in half and put one half back in the fridge. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of approx. 3 – 4 mm (1/8 of an inch) and use a floured cookie cutter to cut out cookies with a round or wavy edge. Do the same with the second half of the dough, cutting out a hole in the middle of the cookies.

Bake the cut-out cookies one after the other on a baking tray lined with baking paper for about 12 minutes. After baking, remove the cookies from the tray and let them cool. Caution: When hot, they are easily breakable.

Brush the unperforated cookies with jam or jelly, place a perforated cookie on top of each, and dust with icing sugar. The original recipe uses currant jelly, which is my favorite.

Makes about 70 pieces.
They can be kept for several weeks in a tin can.

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Tip: Bake the cutout dough as well and use it to decorate desserts or ice cream. The above cookies are made with strained apricot jam they are delicious as well.