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Pomegranate Linzer Cookies

Pomegranate Linzer Cookies

Classic, buttery Linzer Cookies are accented with a homemade pomegranate jelly for a made-from-scratch touch.

Course Dessert
Cuisine Austria
Keyword Austrian Christmas cookies, cookies with pomegranate jelly, Linzer cookies
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Chilling of cookie dough 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings 3 dozen
Calories 120 kcal
Author Denisse

Ingredients

For the pomegranate jelly:

  • 2 cups pomegranate juice
  • 1 ounce powdered fruit pectin
  • 2 1/2 cups sugar

For the cookies:

  • 3/4 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

For the pomegranate jelly:

  1. In a Dutch oven, combine pomegranate juice and pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar and return to a boil, stirring until thickened, approximately 2 minutes. Transfer to a jar and allow to cool completely.

For the cookies:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter, sugar, and vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Transfer to a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

  2. Roll the dough 1/4-inch thick and cut into 2 3/4-inch rounds. With 1/2 of the rounds, cut a hole from the middle of each round with a heart-shaped cutter. Place all the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and chill for 15 minutes.

  3. Bake cookies for 20 to 25 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Remove from oven, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  4. Spread pomegranate jelly on the flat side of each solid cookie. Dust the top of the cut-out cookies with powdered sugar and press the flat sides together, so that the pomegranate jam is in the middle and the powdered sugar is on the top.

Recipe Notes

  • Make sure your butter is at room temperature before you start baking.
  • The only flavor going into the Linzer cookie dough is vanilla, so make sure you work with a high-quality product.
  • Chilling the cut-out cookies before baking helps them hold their shape in the hot oven. Alternatively, you can pop your cookie sheet into the freezer for a couple of minutes.
  • Try to bake the tops (the ones with their center cut out) and the bottoms in separate batches, as the tops tend to bake a little faster.