Sourdough Linzer Cookies
Sourdough Linzer cookies are the perfect holiday treat! They are quick and easy to make with sourdough discard.
Equipment
- Heart-Shaped Cookie Cutters 2.75" and 1.37"
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons (270 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup (75 g) almond flour
- 16 tablespoons (226 g) butter 1 cup or 2 sticks, softened
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) vanilla
- ¾ cup (150 g) white sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) sourdough starter discard see notes if you don't have sourdough discard on hand
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon optional
Filling
- ½-¾ cup strawberry jam, cherry jam, or homemade nutella
Finishing
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar you may need more
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat 16 tablespoons butter and ¾ cup white sugar until well combined. Add 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla and ¼ cup sourdough starter discard and mix until combined.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, ⅔ cup almond flour, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon (if using). Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, making sure not to overmix, and the ingredients are fully combined.
- Separate the dough into two batches and form it into discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least one hour. This will help keep the dough firm to cut out shapes easily.
- Remove one dough disc from the refrigerator and lightly dust your work surface. Lightly dust your rolling pin and roll out the dough into a ¼"-inch thick sheet (You can also roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper). Place the sheets of dough back in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to keep the dough firm.
- Use a 2.75-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the dough. Take a small 1.37-inch heart cookie cutter and cut out smaller hearts from half of the large hearts (these will be the "windows"). Gather any scraps, including the small heart cutouts, roll out, and cut out more large hearts. I was able to get 36 large hearts by doing this (18 cookies total) and five small heart cut-outs as extras.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Transfer the cutouts to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet spaced at least 1.5" apart, and chill for 15 minutes in the fridge while the oven is preheating. Bake the cookies for 9-10 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to turn golden brown (do not overbake). You may need to bake them in batches. Let the cookies cool completely before filling.
- Lightly dust the tops of the cookies that have the "windows"/small heart cutouts in them with ½ cup powdered sugar. Spoon about two teaspoons to one tablespoon of jam to each bottom cookie. Lightly spread out the filling, leaving a small border to prevent the filling from spilling out. Gently press a "window" cookie on top to create a sandwich.
Notes
Sourdough starter discard: If you don’t have any sourdough discard on hand, you can create a quick substitute by mixing 25 grams of water with 25 grams of flour. While it won’t have the same tangy flavor as true sourdough discard, it works well as a temporary alternative if you’ve run out but still want to make this recipe.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookieCalories: 221kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 3gFat: 10g