These gluten-free Linzer cookies are perfect for your Valentine, or for a wonderful addition to your holiday baking. I make this gluten-free cookie recipe every year for Christmas – but they are perfect all year round. Try different filling these cookies with different types of fruit jams – seasonally (strawberry-rhubarb would be fantastic for 4th of July.) They are always a favorite, and usually the first cookies to disappear. When Deanna comes home, she always asks me “Mom, did you make the (gluten-free) Linzer Cookies?” They take a little time, but they are so worth the effort!
These cookies make WONDERFUL party favors. If you package them up in small boxes, you can give them to guests are your holiday party, a bridal shower or wedding. These lovely little gluten-free Linzer cookies will fit perfectly inside the shop’s cake/donut boxes
Gluten-Free Linzer Cookies
Ingredients
- Good quality raspberry jam – I love Bon Maman (the jam with the red and white gingham lid)
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon bourbon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup cornstarch
- 3 1/2 – 4 cup gluten-free flour (Cup 4 Cup)
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar (for dusting the tops)
Instructions
- Place the butter and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer. Cream the butter and sugar together (med-low speed) – it’s best to use the flat beater attachment for this if you have one. Add the eggs, one at a time, and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula after each. Stir in the vanilla extract, salt, and the cornstarch. Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, on medium-low to avoid having a flour covered kitchen! Add flour (up to the 4 cups) until the dough pulls away from the sides. Scrape dough out of the mixing bowl and into a gallon zip-lock bag. Chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees while you roll out the cookies. Roll cookies out on parchment or a silicone rolling mat, to about 3/8 of an inch. Use a round or heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut the cookies. In half of the cookies, cut out a “window” with a smaller cookie cutter. Here is where you can get creative – I used a heart, but use whatever shape fits the occasion – stars for 4th of July or Christmas. Place cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges just barely brown. Remove from oven and cool completely. To assemble the cookies: Spread jam on the cookies without the ‘windows’. Place cookie with ‘window’ on top of the jam. Dust with powdered sugar – I use a small sifter to do this.
I do make this dough ahead and freeze it for up to a month. You can do this with most cookie recipes – just thaw out when you are ready to bake. This is a huge time saver is you want to get a jump-start on your holiday baking and make this gluten-free Linzer dough in advance.
Let me know how you like them! They keep well in a tightly sealed container for a couple of weeks at room temperature – but I bet they won’t last that long. I hope these gluten-free Linzers become a tradition of your holiday baking! You can also use King Arthur’s Gluten-Free equal measure flour in this recipe with ease as well.
