Description
These Pistachio Linzer Cookies are a delightful twist on the classic Linzer cookie, featuring a nutty pistachio flavor in the buttery cookie dough, sandwiched with sweet raspberry jam. Perfectly crisp, tender, and festive with an optional green hue, they are an elegant treat for holidays or special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (gluten-free if needed)
- 1/2 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, very soft but not melted (170g)
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Green gel food coloring (optional)
Assembly
- 1/2 cup raspberry jam
- Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Grind pistachios: Add the pistachios to a food processor and pulse or blend until finely ground. Transfer them to a bowl and whisk together with the flour and salt until well combined.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a separate large bowl, combine the very soft butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract using a spatula or a mixer on low speed until smooth with no butter clumps. If desired, stir in 2-3 drops of green gel food coloring to tint the dough.
- Add dry ingredients: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until the dough begins to come together, pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Mix with your hands if needed to form a firm but slightly crumbly dough ball.
- Chill the dough: Turn the dough onto plastic wrap and press it into a disc shape. Wrap tightly and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight to firm up.
- Cut the cookie dough: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch round or fluted cookie cutter, cut out circles. For half the cookies, cut out a smaller shape in the center (such as a heart) to create the traditional Linzer top.
- Bake: Place the cookies with cutouts on one baking sheet and the whole cookies on the other. Bake the cutout cookies for 7 minutes and the whole cookies for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and dust the top cookies with powdered sugar. Let cookies cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- Assemble the cookies: Spread about 1 teaspoon of raspberry jam onto the underside of the whole cookies. Press one cookie with a cutout gently on top to form a sandwich. Store the assembled cookies at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days.
Notes
- You can use any round or fluted cookie cutter along with a smaller cutter to make the window in the top cookies. Pre-made Linzer cutters work well.
- Chilling the dough for 2 hours is important to prevent spreading and keep cookie shapes sharp.
- The dough can be prepared and chilled 2–3 days ahead; unbaked cookies freeze well before assembly. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Store cookies tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Feel free to use different jam flavors or cookie shapes for variety.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 140 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
