Chocolate Linzer Cookies Recipes

CHOCOLATE LINZER COOKIES

Steps:

• Add unsweetened cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, and kosher salt to small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
• Add unsalted butter and granulated sugar to stand mixer. Beat on medium with paddle attachment for 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, if necessary.
• Add eggs and vanilla bean paste to sugar mixture and beat on low for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, if necessary.
• Add flour mixture to stand mixture and beat on low just long enough for the dough to come together.
• Place dough on plastic wrap, pat down to disc about 1-inch thick. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes and up to 3 days.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Lightly flour a large cutting board or flat surface. Roll out cold dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut dough into circles using a cookie cutter or biscuit cutter. Cut small circles in the center of half the cut shapes.
• Re-roll any leftover dough and cut more cookies.
• Arrange all cut cookies on prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake cookies 12 to 15 minutes, or until light golden around the edges.
• Remove cookie sheets from oven and place on wire rack to cool. Cool cookies completely before filling.
• Add unsalted butter to stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 4 minutes. Add powdered sugar and mint extract to stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 4 minutes.
• Add unsalted butter to stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 4 minutes. Add powdered sugar and orange extract to stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 4 minutes.
• Add unsalted butter to stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 4 minutes. Add powdered sugar and strawberry extract to stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 4 minutes.
• Place semisweet chocolate chips in small bowl. Heat heavy cream in small saucepan or in microwavable bowl until simmering. Pour over chocolate. Set aside for 2 minutes. Stir with spoon until smooth and glossy.
• Top the one solid circle half with about 1 tablespoon of frosting or ganache. Place a second cookie over the filling and press lightly to seal.
• Store leftover cookies in an airtight container for several days.

CHOCOLATE LINZER COOKIES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extract. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle. , Divide dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one portion to 1/8-in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. round cookie cutter. Roll out remaining dough; cut with a 2-1/2-in. floured doughnut cutter so the center is cut out of each cookie. , Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool., Spread melted chocolate over the bottoms of solid cookies. Place cookies with cutout centers over chocolate. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon jam in center of each cookie.

HAZELNUT-CHOCOLATE LINZER COOKIES

Steps:

• Add the nuts to the bowl of a food processor, fitted with a blade, and pulse until finely ground (it should be powdery and not a paste), about 15 pulses. Set aside. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl until evenly combined and set aside.
• Put the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, and mix on medium speed until creamy and light, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the mixer, scrape down sides of the bowl, and add egg yolks and vanilla. Mix until well incorporated.
• Mix in the orange zest, ground hazelnut powder, and the flour mixture until just incorporated. Divide the dough into 2 even pieces, pat each into a thin disk, enclose in plastic wrap, and let rest in refrigerator at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and arrange racks in the upper and lower third of the oven. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature until pliable enough to roll. Roll out half of the dough on a piece of lightly floured parchment or waxed paper to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out rounds of dough. Using a 3/4-inch round cookie cutter, cut out the center of half of rounds to make rings. Transfer rounds and rings to the freezer to set up for 5 minutes before continuing. Gather the dough scraps and chill.
• Transfer the chilled cookies to parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving at least 1-inch between each cookie. Bake 2 sheets of cookies at a time until the undersides are golden, switching sheets halfway through, about 12 to 15 minutes total. Cool 5 minutes on sheets then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat until all dough is used.
• To assemble cookies, spread 1 teaspoon of the chocolate spread on the bottom of each solid round cookie, then top with a ring-shaped cookie.
• For Blackberry-Pecan Linzer Cookies variation, follow the same instructions except spread 1/2 teaspoon jam on the bottom side of each solid round cookie, then top with a ring-shaped cookie.

LINZER COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until light and fluffy. Beat in the lemon zest, egg and vanilla. Mix in 1 cup of chopped almonds, then stir in the sifted ingredients. Press 2/3 of the dough into the bottom of a greased or parchment lined 8x8 inch baking pan. Roll the remaining portion between two pieces of waxed paper, out to an 8 inch square. Refrigerate all of the dough for at least 2 hours.
• While the dough is chilling, place the apricots into a small saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook for three minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Drain the excess liquid from the apricots and mix in the preserves and lemon juice.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread the apricot filling evenly over the chilled crust, leaving a 1/4 inch border on edges. Cut the chilled square of dough into 1/2 inch strips. Place the strips over the filling in a lattice design. Trim edges to fit and press the edges into the border. Brush the top with egg white then sprinkle with remaining chopped almonds and coarse sugar.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

CHOCOLATE-TAHINI LINZER COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and 1 tsp. salt in a medium bowl to combine. Beat granulated sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat to incorporate, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients. Beat just until dough comes together. Divide in half and pat each into a disk; wrap tightly in plastic. Chill just long enough that dough is rollable and no longer sticky, about 30 minutes.
• Working one at a time, roll out dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper until 1/8" thick. Slide onto baking sheets, still sandwiched between parchment, and chill until very firm, about 1 hour.
• Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350°F. Carefully peel away top sheets of parchment from dough and punch out cookies with larger cutters. Punch out centers of half of cookies with smaller cutters. Carefully transfer whole cookies with a spatula to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing 1" apart. Sprinkle remaining cut-out cookies with sanding sugar, then transfer to another parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake cookies until edges are set, 7-10 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets. Repeat process with scraps (chill dough again before punching out shapes).
• Melt chocolate and tahini in a bowl in a microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring after each, until chocolate is melted (or melt in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water; do not let bowl touch water). Stir to combine and season with salt. Spread filling over whole cookies; top with cut-out cookies.
• Do Ahead
• Cookies can be assembled 5 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE LINZER COOKIES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl combine flour, cocoa, cinnamon, sugar and almonds.
• Toss lightly with a fork, add butter pieces.
• Gather into a ball.
• Wrap securely in plastic wrap and chill 4 to 5 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• On lightly floured surface roll out half of dough.
• Cut put rounds using a 3-inch round biscuit cutter.
• With the remaining half of dough cut out rounds with the same cutter, but also cut a smaller circle(about3/4-inch) in the center, using a bottle cap.
• Place both batches on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove from cookie sheet and cool completely.
• Spread plain cookies with jam and cover with a cookie with a whole in the center.
• Sprinkle tops with confectioners' sugar.

HOT CHOCOLATE LINZER COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, ground almonds, cocoa and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until easy to handle., On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/16-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-in. gingerbread man cookie cutter. Using a floured 3/4-in. heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut a heart from half of the cookies., Place on greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 7-9 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool completely., Spread the bottom of each solid cookie with 1 tablespoon marshmallow creme; gently place cutout cookies over creme. Store in an airtight container.