Linzer Cookies Italian Stawberry Jam Recipe

Linzer Cookies Italian Stawberry Jam Recipe tastes like buttery almond shortbread hugging bright, slightly tart strawberry jam, with a soft crumb and a gentle crunch at the edges. It works perfectly for bakers who want a showy cookie that still fits into a relaxed afternoon project, and you can finish the whole batch in about 2 hours including chill time. I baked a version of these for a neighbor’s block party, and people followed the cookie tray like it walked on its own.

Why You Should Try This Linzer Cookies Italian Stawberry Jam Recipe

This Linzer Cookies Italian Stawberry Jam Recipe gives you a bakery-style cookie that looks fancy but uses simple pantry ingredients. The almond cookie base tastes rich and nutty, and the strawberry jam center adds a fruity pop that keeps each bite from feeling heavy.

You can bake these for holidays, baby showers, or a random Tuesday when you want your kitchen to smell like butter and toasted nuts. Kids love cutting out the shapes, and adults love pretending they only want one cookie.

“These Linzer cookies taste like something from a tiny Italian bakery on a side street. The almond cookie melts in your mouth, and the strawberry jam center hits with just the right sweetness. They look impressive on a platter, but the recipe feels approachable and forgiving. I baked them once and now my family requests them at every gathering.”

Ingredients You’ll Need

Dry ingredients

• 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
  • Use a standard unbleached flour like King Arthur or Gold Medal for consistent texture.
• 1 cup (100 g) finely ground blanched almond flour
  • Choose super-fine almond flour, not coarse almond meal, so the cookies stay tender.
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional, but it adds a cozy bakery flavor)

Wet ingredients

• 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened to cool room temperature
  • Use European-style butter if you want a richer flavor, but any good supermarket butter works.
• 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • Adjust to taste; almond extract runs strong, so measure carefully.

Jam filling

• 3/4 cup high-quality strawberry jam or preserves
  • Choose an Italian-style strawberry jam if you find it; look for brands that list strawberries first, not sugar.
  • If the jam looks very loose, simmer it a few minutes to thicken so it does not run out of the cookies.
• 1–2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, to brighten the jam flavor
• Optional: 1–2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh strawberries, patted very dry
  • This adds a little texture, but keep the mixture thick, not watery.

Finishing

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar, for dusting the tops
• Extra flour, for dusting the work surface

Pantry shortcuts and substitutions

• Use pre-ground almond flour instead of grinding whole nuts to save time and clean-up.
• Swap strawberry jam with raspberry or apricot if you want a twist, but keep the texture thick.
• If you avoid nuts, replace almond flour with the same amount of all-purpose flour and skip almond extract; the cookies still taste lovely, just less nutty.
• Use salted butter if needed, then reduce added salt to a tiny pinch.

Equipment list

• Stand mixer with paddle attachment or a hand mixer and large mixing bowl
• Medium mixing bowl for dry ingredients
• Rubber spatula
• Plastic wrap or reusable silicone wrap
• Rolling pin
• 2–3 baking sheets
• Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
• 2 cookie cutters: one larger (about 2 to 2 1/2 inches) and one small cutter for the center window
• Wire cooling racks
• Fine mesh sieve for dusting powdered sugar
• Small saucepan and spoon for thickening jam, if needed
• Offset spatula or butter knife for spreading jam

Tips & Tricks

• Chill the dough at least 1 hour so the cookies hold their shape and bake with clean edges.
• Keep butter cool but pliable; very soft or melted butter makes the dough sticky and tough to roll.
• Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment to avoid extra flour and prevent cracks.
• Aim for an even 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness so the tops and bottoms bake at the same rate.
• Cut an equal number of solid bottoms and “window” tops so every cookie finds a partner.
• Dust the tops with powdered sugar before you sandwich them so the jam center stays shiny and visible.
• Stir a little lemon juice into the strawberry jam to brighten the flavor and cut sweetness.
• If the jam looks runny, simmer it a few minutes until thick and glossy, then cool before filling.
• Bake one test cookie to check spread and timing, then adjust chill time or oven temperature slightly if needed.
• Let cookies cool completely before filling so the jam does not melt and slide.
• Store the cookies unfilled if you bake ahead; fill them the day you serve for the best texture.
• Use a light-colored baking sheet so the bottoms do not brown too quickly.

How to Make Linzer Cookies Italian Stawberry Jam Recipe

Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients

Add flour, almond flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a medium bowl. Whisk until everything looks evenly combined and no almond flour clumps remain. Set the bowl aside.

Step 2: Cream butter and sugar

Place softened butter and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture looks pale and fluffy and feels light. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula so everything mixes evenly.

Step 3: Add egg, yolk, and extracts

Add the egg and egg yolk to the butter mixture. Beat on medium speed until the mixture looks smooth and glossy. Add vanilla and almond extracts and mix again until combined.

Step 4: Combine wet and dry ingredients

Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in two additions. Mix on low speed just until the flour disappears and the dough comes together in soft clumps. Use a spatula to fold in any dry bits at the bottom of the bowl so the dough feels uniform but still tender.

Step 5: Chill the dough

Divide the dough into two equal portions. Shape each portion into a flat disk, wrap tightly in plastic or reusable wrap, and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Chill up to 24 hours if you want to bake later.

Step 6: Prepare the jam filling

Spoon the strawberry jam into a small saucepan. Add lemon juice and chopped strawberries if you use them. Simmer over low heat 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture thickens and looks glossy, then cool it to room temperature.

Step 7: Roll out the dough

Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Take one dough disk from the fridge and let it sit on the counter 5 minutes so it softens slightly. Place it between two sheets of parchment and roll to about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness.

Step 8: Cut the cookie shapes

Use the larger cutter to cut as many cookies as possible from the rolled dough. Transfer the shapes to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Gather scraps, press them together gently, chill a few minutes, then roll again.

Step 9: Cut the “window” tops

Count the cookies on the baking sheets and mark half of them as tops. Use the smaller cutter to cut a center window from those cookies. Chill all cut cookies in the fridge 15 to 20 minutes while you heat the oven so they keep their shape.

Step 10: Bake the cookies

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack 9 to 12 minutes, until the edges look lightly golden and the centers look set. Pull the sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 11: Dust the tops

Place the window cookies on a clean surface or rack. Use a fine mesh sieve to dust them generously with powdered sugar. Leave the solid cookies plain since they hold the jam.

Step 12: Fill and assemble

Stir the cooled strawberry jam to loosen it slightly. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of jam onto the center of each solid cookie and spread gently, leaving a small border around the edge. Place a powdered sugar top cookie over each jam-covered bottom and press lightly so the jam peeks through the window.

Step 13: Rest and serve

Let the assembled Linzer cookies sit at room temperature about 20 to 30 minutes. The jam will settle and lightly cling to the cookie, which makes them easier to handle. Serve them on a pretty plate or cookie tray and watch them disappear faster than you planned.

What to Serve with Linzer Cookies Italian Stawberry Jam Recipe

Serve Linzer Cookies Italian Stawberry Jam Recipe with hot drinks like coffee, espresso, cappuccino, or a simple cup of black tea. Kids enjoy them with cold milk or hot chocolate, especially when the weather feels chilly. You can pair them with a fruit platter or a bowl of fresh strawberries to echo the jam flavor. They also fit nicely on a dessert board with simple butter cookies, biscotti, and a few pieces of dark chocolate.

Storage Options

• Store filled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days; place parchment between layers to protect the powdered sugar.
• Keep them in the fridge up to 5 days if your kitchen runs warm; let them sit at room temperature 15 to 20 minutes before serving so the texture softens.
• Freeze unfilled cookie shells up to 2 months in a well-sealed container, then thaw at room temperature and fill with jam the day you serve.
• Freeze filled cookies on a tray until firm, then transfer to a container for up to 1 month; expect a slightly softer texture after thawing, but the flavor still tastes lovely.

Linzer Cookies with Italian Strawberry Jam

Buttery, tender Linzer cookies filled with sweet Italian strawberry jam and dusted with powdered sugar, perfect for holidays or afternoon coffee.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 42 minutes mins

Servings: 24

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup finely ground almonds or almond flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3/4 cup Italian strawberry jam
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

 

1. In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
2. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using) until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, and salt.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing just until a soft dough forms. Divide the dough into two discs, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 1 hour or until firm.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out rounds with a cookie cutter, then cut a small shape (heart, star, or circle) from the center of half of the cookies to form the tops.
7. Transfer cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Chill the cut cookies in the fridge for 10 minutes to help them keep their shape.
8. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are just lightly golden. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Dust the cooled cookie tops (those with the cut-out centers) generously with powdered sugar.
10. Spread about 1 teaspoon of Italian strawberry jam onto each solid cookie base, then gently place a sugared top cookie over each to form a sandwich, pressing lightly so the jam shows through the center.
11. Allow the assembled Linzer cookies to rest for 30–60 minutes so the jam sets slightly before serving.

Notes

Nutrition Information
Approximate per 1 cookie (1 of 24): 140 calories; fat 7 g; saturated fat 3.5 g; carbohydrates 17 g; fiber 0.5 g; sugars 9 g; protein 2 g; sodium 45 mg. Values will vary based on specific ingredients, brands, and cookie size.