Spitzbuben – Linzer Cookies
Spitzbuben – Linzer Cookies; two perfectly thin, soft, buttery cookies filled with delicious raspberry jam! Take a bite, and you will fall in love!
One of my absolute favorite Christmas cookie is the Spitzbuben. In the English-speaking regions, they call it Linzer cookies. Linzer cookies originally call for almond flour. However, my Spitzbuben don’t have any nuts in them. So, maybe they aren’t supposed to be called Linzer cookies after all?!? What do you think?
Anyways, almond flour or not, they are exquisite! They are so buttery and soft, and the raspberry jam in the middle makes them irresistible.
They are great on the first day, but they are sublime on the second day. The flavors meld together, the cookies slightly soften, and the jelly sinks into the cookies creating a unified flavor!
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TIPS
- Make the dough a day before you need it! It will be a lot easier to work with.
Rolling out the dough
- Make sure you have everything set out and ready before taking the dough out of the refrigerator. Cut the dough in half to keep one part chilled while working with the other half.
- The dough will be pretty hard when you take it out of the fridge (if you made it the day before). However, just knead it a little with your hands, and it will be the perfect consistency after a few seconds.
- Roll it out with a rolling pin on a well-floured work surface. Use light, consistent pressure, and turn your dough with your hands as you go so that it will be evenly rolled out. If the dough gets a little sticky, lightly dust it with flour.
- Once you start rolling out the dough – work quickly and efficiently. If the dough feels warm and tacky, put it back in the refrigerator until it is firm and cold to the touch. In the meantime, take the other half out and start working with that.
Cutting out the cookies
- After you cut out the cookies use a smaller cookie cutter to cut out the “window” and then place the whole cookie sheet in the fridge (or outside if it’s cold enough) until the cookies are cold to the touch; about 20-30min. This is a crucial step! Chilling the cookies before you bake them helps keep their shape and sharp edges.
Baking
- Since they are so small, they will bake quickly!! Stay close to the oven and watch them! They only take about 7-10 minutes to bake (depending on the thickness). One minute too long in the oven, and you will have burnt cookies. That would be sad after all the work you put in!
E Guete (Bon appétit)!! Don’t forget to share some pictures with me and tell me how you liked these Spitzbuben – Linzer Cookies. It would make my day if you tag @mirjamskitchenyodel on Instagram, share on Facebook or pin on Pinterest.
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Spitzbuben – Linzer Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 250 g Butter soft
- 125 g Powdered sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 Egg white
- 350 g All-purpose flour
Instructions
Make dough
- Place softened butter into a mixing bowl and mix with a kitchen aid mixer or hand mixer until it is creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt to the butter and mix until well combined.
- Add one egg white and mix until blended.
- Take the mixing bowl out of the kitchen aid mixer and add the flour. Use a wooden spoon or your hands to incorporate it. Don't work the dough for too long, or you will end up with a rubbery mixture. Mix just long enough until you don't see any more flour.
- Take the dough out of the bowl, put it on a plastic wrap, and wrap it up. Place it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours – preferably overnight.
Forming
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the dough in half and take one half of the dough out of the fridge (it will be hard if you made it the day before), and work it with your hands for about a minute. It should still be firm but workable once done.
- Roll it out with a rolling pin on a well-floured work surface until it's about 2-4 mm thick. Use light, consistent pressure, and turn your dough with your hands as you go so that it will be evenly rolled out. If the dough gets a little sticky, lightly dust it with flour.
- Cut with a round cookie cutter 4-5 cm/2 inch big cookies (3 cm/1 inches for smaller Spitzbuben).
- Place the cookies on the lined baking sheet.
- Use a smaller cookie cutter to cut a "window" in half of the cookies. These will be the top of the cookies.
- Repeat with the other half of the dough.
- Preheat the oven to 392°F or 200C°.
- Place the baking sheet in the fridge (or outside if it's cold enough) for about 20 minutes.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes or until light golden brown. Baking time depends on how thick you rolled yours. Stay close to the oven and watch them. One minute too long in the oven, and you will have burnt cookies.
- Remove cookies from the baking sheet and let them cool on a cooling rack.
Filling the cookies
- Once cooled, flip all the cookies without "windows." Then, with a knife or a spoon, spread raspberry jam on the bottom side (the side that was on the baking sheet).
- Dust the cookies with "windows" with powder sugar and place them on top of the cookies with the raspberry jam.
