Linzer Kipferl Austrian Chocolate Dipped Crescent Sandwich Cookies Recipes

CLASSIC AUSTRIAN LINZER COOKIES RECIPE

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine all-purpose flour, almond flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer or with a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until it is pale and fluffy.
• Add the egg and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat until well mixed.
• Gradually beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture until just combined.
• Wrap the dough well with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very firm, at least two hours and up to 3 days.
• When you are ready to bake your cookies, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) fan assisted. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. (I do a fan here because you will have to put 2 trays of cookies into the oven and you need the air to circulate)
• On a floured surface, roll out the dough until it is about an 1/8 inch (3mm) thick. (You can also roll this dough on a floured piece of parchment for even easier handling)
• Working quickly while the dough is still cold and firm, use a 2 ½ inch (6cm) cookie cutter to cut out as many rounds of dough as you can and place them 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Gather any scraps, rewrap, and chill until firm enough to reroll.
• Once the cut dough is on the cookie sheets, cut out one inch (2.5cm) hole out of the centers of half of the cookies. (See above video for step-by-step)
• Bake for roughly 15-18 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Let cool on the cookie sheets for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the base of the cookie, spread about 1 teaspoon of strained raspberry jam onto ½ of the cookies, spreading the jam out a bit but not quite to the edge.
• Dust the top halves of the cookies (with the cut-out circle) generously with powdered sugar, then carefully place the tops on the jam covered bottoms. Press to seal very gently so you don't break to the top half.
• These cookies are best enjoyed the day they are made. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. The raw dough can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 8 weeks.

VANILLEKIPFERL (AUSTRIAN VANILLA CRESCENT COOKIES)

Steps:

• Place the butter and flour in to the bowl of your food processor. Pulse to combine until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Place the mixture in a large bowl.
• Add the ground almonds, powdered sugar, vanilla sugar, salt, and egg yolks to the mixture. Knead the dough with your hands in the bowl until it comes together, 5 min.
• Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces, shape each into a ball. Place the balls in a sealed plastic bag or covered bowl in the refrigerator for at least half an hour, up to 2 days, to develop flavor.
• Preheat the oven to 350F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator.
• Remove one ball of dough from the refrigerator. Roll it into a rope, 12 inches long. Cut the rope into 12 even pieces. Roll each piece into a 3-4 inch rope and shape it into a crescent. Place the shaped crescents onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or a non-stick baking mat, ½ inch apart. Repeat with the remaining dough, removing one ball of dough from the refrigerator at a time, until you have filled one tray.
• Bake the cookies, one tray at a time, for 11-12 min, until the tips of the crescents just start to turn a light golden brown.
• Remove the pan from the oven. (And place your second, cool tray with shaped cookies in the oven to bake, if necessary.)
• Let the baked cookies rest on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes while you prepare your sugar mixture. Mix ½ c powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp vanilla sugar together in a shallow bowl.
• Take the warm cookies from the baking sheet and carefully coat them in the sugar mixture. Place the coated cookies on a wire rack to finish cooling.
• Repeat as needed with the remaining cookies.
• Leave the cookies out overnight to harden, and then transfer them to an air tight container to store for up to 1 week.

LINZER STAR SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookie batter: In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the butter until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and continue mixing until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, 5 to 8 minutes.
• In another bowl, combine and mix the flour, almonds, cinnamon and nutmeg.
• Mix and roll the cookies: Because this dough has a good amount of butter, it needs resting time and it needs to be rolled fairly quickly. Lay three large pieces of wax paper in a single layer on a flat surface. Sprinkle each one with a light coating of flour. Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a rubber spatula, blend the flour mixture in with the butter. When the ingredients are fully integrated, place one third of the batter on each of the pieces of wax paper. Coat with another light layer of flour and top with another piece of wax paper of the same length to make three dough "sandwiches." Press these wax-paper-and-dough-sandwiches down with your hands until the dough is fairly thin. This will save a lot of time on rolling later on. Place two of them in the refrigerator and work with them one at a time. Roll the first batch into as neat a shape as possible. What matters most is avoiding creases or cracks and getting it to about 1/8 inch in thickness. When the first is rolled, refrigerate it and repeat the same process for the other two. Let them chill at least 10 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Make the cookie bottoms: Remove the first rolled sheet from the refrigerator and cut as many 1 1/2-inch stars (or rounds) as you can. Reserve the scraps in the refrigerator. Arrange the stars neatly in a single layer on a greased baking sheet. Repeat with the other two sheets, reserving any scraps.
• Make the cookie tops: Cut a star, with the smaller cutter, out of the center of half of all the cookies. Roll the scraps in between two of the pieces of wax paper and cut additional stars, if desired.
• Bake and assemble the cookie sandwiches: Bake the cookies until they are lightly brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the trays from the oven and allow them to cool slightly on the trays for a few minutes before gently transferring them to a flat surface. P
• Place the raspberry jam in a small pot and bring it to a light simmer. Remove from the heat to cool slightly. Spoon 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon raspberry jam on each bottom and place a top star squarely on each. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

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.

HOLIDAY KIPFERL COOKIE

Steps:

• Pulse almonds in a food processor until finely ground. Add flour, granulated sugar and salt; pulse until combined. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks and water. Add to almond butter mixture, and pulse until dough forms. Shape dough into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until easy to handle, about 1 hour., Preheat oven to 325°. Divide dough into fourths. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into an 8-in. circle. Sprinkle with pecans and cranberries; lightly press into dough. Cut each circle into 12 wedges. Roll up wedges from the wide end; place point side down 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Curve ends to form crescents., Bake until lightly browned, 12-15 minutes. Carefully roll warm cookies in confectioners' sugar. Cool on wire racks. Sprinkle with additional confectioners' sugar. Store in an airtight container.