Traditional Linzer Cookies - 12 Days of Cookies - Baked Occasions

I have looked at linzer cookies for years and thought they look so beautiful and have wanted to like them. They are one of those cookies that end up on covers of magazines because they just look inviting and festive. I remember making them with my mom one time for a bridal shower and not liking them at all then. That recipe, I believe, had almond extract included and that is not a flavor that I enjoy.

This recipe also had almond extract and ground almonds. I ended up keeping the ground almonds, but I replaced the almond extract with vanilla extract. For my tastes, that was the right combination. These cookies, like many, need some chilling time before baking and it was very important for being able to roll and cut out the shapes correctly.

Most of the time I am a big fan of soft and chewy cookies and I will leave crunchy cookies alone. So, I watched these carefully so they would not become too crunchy. For these cookies that was a mistake, I should have let them get crunchy. The first day when they were made they were delicious with a little bit of a crunch. Then the next couple of days they got softer from the jam. I think they would have stayed more crisp if I had baked them a little longer. I really enjoyed these though, it was hard to stop eating them!

The recipe for these and thoughts from other bakers can be found at Baked Sunday Mornings here.

Timing: Recipe States: timing not listed, My Actual Timing: 77 minutes, plus chilling time
Servings: Recipe States: 24 cookies, Servings For My Family: 18 cookies
Leftovers: These were good for a week, but best the day they were made.


Family Ratings:
Me: So great! I really enjoyed these.
Hubby:
Big Man: No thanks.
Bear: No raspberries for me.
Mr. T: How many can I eat?

Will I repeat: Yes.

What will I change: I will continue to use the raspberry jam, which was a change from the cookbook, and bake them a little more crisply.