These cranberry linzer are made with cut-out almond cookies flecked with dried cranberries with homemade cranberry jam sandwiched in the middle. They're tart, fruity, and get softer the next day for the perfect texture!
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Notes from the baker
I make some variation of linzer cookies every holiday season. They're the perfect cut-out cookies that can be customized by changing up the filling, cookie flavours, and cut-out shapes. And they turn out well every time!
These cranberry linzer cookies taste even better the next day after they've softened up from the jam filling. I love anything with a fruity filling so the homemade cranberry jam checks that box for me.
I love this year's variation with the flecks of dried cranberries in the cookie dough. It adds more cranberry flavour, a bit of chewiness, and the cookies look great even without the powdered sugar topping. I actually prefer leaving these cookies "naked" to show off the cranberries!
Why you'll love this recipe
- Tart and fruity cranberry jam. The filling is so easy to make and has a bright pop of colour and flavour.
- Soft and crumbly cookies. The classic almond cookie texture that holds its shape and gets softer the next day after absorbing the moisture from the filling.
- Cranberries in two ways. We have cranberries in the cookie dough and cranberries in the filling for maximum flavour.
- Festive and iconic cookies. Linzer cookies scream Christmas and the holidays especially when you use holiday cookie cutter shapes.
- Can be made ahead of time. The cranberry jam and cookie dough can be made days in advance and stored in the fridge or frozen until you're ready to bake and assemble.
Tools
- Small pot - For making the cranberry jam.
- Electric hand mixer - An essential tool when making any recipe with softened butter. It makes creaming butter and sugar together and mixing cookie dough so much faster and easier.
- Rolling pin - For rolling out the cookie dough.
- 2" round cookie cutter - You can make these cookies any size you like but I'd recommend around 2" in diameter. I prefer round cookie cutters with scalloped or fluted edges because I think it makes it harder to tell if the cookies aren't perfectly circular after baking. It's also just a pretty detail!
- Mini holiday cookie cutters - You'll need smaller cookie cutters for the middle cut-out. They need to be small enough to fit within the size of your round cookie cutter without making the edges too thin. This is where you can get creative with the shapes you choose!
- Baking sheet - Any baking sheet or baking tray will work for baking your cookies. I'd recommend having two baking sheets so that you can prepare the second sheet of cookies while the first sheet is baking. You can put the second sheet in the oven immediately after the first one comes out without waiting for it to cool down.
Ingredient notes
As always, the full recipe card with ingredient amounts and instructions is at the bottom of this post! Keep reading for more details on each ingredient or skip ahead to the recipe.
- Cranberries - You can use fresh or frozen cranberries to make the cranberry jam. Do not use dried cranberries here. I love buying fresh cranberries and freezing them for the next year so that I can make cranberry recipes before they're even in season. They freeze really well!
- Granulated sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Almond flour - You'll need finely ground almond flour which is a classic ingredient in linzer cookies. It makes the cookies soft and crumbly.
- Salt
- Unsalted butter - This should be softened to room temperature to make mixing easier.
- Brown sugar
- Eggs - These should also be at room temperature to prevent the batter from curdling.
- Vanilla extract
- Dried cranberries - This is a special festive touch to these cranberry linzer cookies. You need to finely chop the dried cranberries. Smaller pieces will make the cookie dough easier to cut out without getting in the way of the cookie cutter.
- Powdered sugar - For sprinkling on top of the cookies for that classic snowy look.
Tips for making the best cranberry linzer cookies
- Cook all the excess water out of the cranberry jam. Excess moisture in the jam will make it watery and make the cookies too soft when sandwiched in between them. It should be very thick and jelly-like and it'll continue to thicken as it cools.
- Keep the dough cold. Any time you feel like the dough is getting too soft, pop it back in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up. Chilled dough is easier to cut out and move around, especially for the smaller middle cut-outs.
- Flour your surfaces and cookie cutters. This prevents the dough from sticking. While you're rolling the dough, you can also lift the dough and add more flour underneath.
- Chill the cookies before baking them. This helps the cookies keep their shape during baking and reduces shrinkage.
- Leave the powdered sugar off if you're storing the cookies for a few days. The moisture from the jam will cause the powdered sugar topping to dissolve in the areas it's in contact with after a day or two. They might start looking a little patchy so I'd recommend leaving the powdered sugar off if the cookies aren't being eaten within 1-2 days.
Storage
These cranberry linzer cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
They can be frozen (without the powdered sugar topping) in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature before eating. The powdered sugar topping will dissolve due to the excess moisture when thawing so it's not recommended if you're going to be freezing the cookies.
Frequently asked questions
Why are your measurements in grams? Why do you mix gram measurements with tablespoons/teaspoons?
Baking by weight is much more accurate than volume. When using US standard cups, ingredients like flour and sugar can easily be overpacked into the cup causing you to add too much of certain ingredients. Recipes with weight measurements are also easier to scale to smaller or bigger batches without dealing with weird fractions. To measure by weight, you simply need a kitchen scale which you can usually pick up for less than $20.
Small measurements are given in tablespoons and teaspoons because most kitchen scales are not accurate under about 10g. Tiny amounts like a ¼ teaspoon may not register accurately unless you have a drug scale. Mixing these measurements is a common practice among other recipe sites and commercial kitchens.
More cookie recipes to try
- Salted Caramel Chocolate Linzer Cookies
- Hazelnut Linzer Cookies
- Matcha Linzer Cookies
- Butter Cookie Box (10 cookies from 1 dough)
Recipe
Cranberry Linzer Cookies
Soft and crumbly almond cookies flecked with dried cranberries with cranberry jam sandwiched in the middle
Equipment
Ingredients
Cranberry Jam
- 300 g cranberries, fresh or frozen
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 150 g water
Cookies
- 380 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g almond flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 230 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 50 g brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 100 g dried cranberries, finely chopped
- powdered sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
Cranberry Jam
- Boil: In a small pot, stir together cranberries, sugar, and water. Cover and bring it to a boil on the stovetop at medium heat.
- Thicken: Uncover and let most of the water cook off, about 10-15 minutes, stirring often. Lower the heat as the water cooks off to prevent burning. It's ready when it becomes a thick and jammy consistency. Transfer the cranberry jam to a small bowl to cool completely before using.
Cookies
- Flour mixture: In a large bowl, stir together the flour, almond flour, and salt. Set aside.
- Butter mixture: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat the softened butter until it becomes very creamy. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat together until creamy and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed in between each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract with the last egg.
- Combine flour and butter mixtures: Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until halfway combined with some flour patches left.
- Mix in cranberries: Add the chopped dried cranberries and mix on low speed until just combined. Switch to a spatula to finish mixing if the dough gets too thick to mix.
- Chill dough: Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Use your hands to press it together. Cut the dough in half. Shape and press each half into a flattened disc shape. Wrap both discs of dough in plastic wrap and let them chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours until firm.
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Roll out dough: On a floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll the first disc of dough to about ⅛" thick, lifting and turning the dough occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the surface.
- Cut out bottom cookies: Use a 2" round cookie cutter to cut out the cookies from the dough. Transfer the cookies to your lined baking sheet. Re-roll the scraps and repeat. These will be your "bottom" cookies.
- Bake bottom cookies: Bake the bottom cookies for about 10-11 minutes or until the bottom edges just barely begin to lightly brown. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.
- Cut out top cookies: Repeat rolling out the second disc of dough and cutting out cookies from it. These will be your "top" cookies. Transfer the cookies to your lined baking sheet. Use a smaller cookie cutter shape to cut out the middle of each cookie. You can either add the shapes to your scrap dough to be re-rolled or bake them separately later for snacks 🙂
- Bake top cookies: Bake the top cookies for about 9-10 minutes (less time than the bottom cookies due to the cut-out). Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.
Assemble the cookies
- Sprinkle: Use a fine mesh sieve to sprinkle powdered sugar on the top cookies (optional, see notes).
- Fill cookies: Transfer the cranberry jam to a piping bag and cut the tip of the bag off. Pipe the cranberry jam onto each bottom cookie. Press a matching top cookie on top.
Notes
- Chilling the cookies: If the dough feels like it has become too soft from working on it for too long, pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up. This will make it easier to work with and easier to cut out the cookies without it sticking. Chilling the cookies before baking (i.e. while another batch is baking) will also help them retain their shape during baking.
- Powdered sugar dusting: The jam will eventually moisten the cookies (especially around the cut-out area) and cause the powdered sugar in that area to dissolve. If you're planning on storing the cookies for several days, I'd recommend skipping the powdered sugar dusting to prevent the cookies from looking a little patchy on the following days.
Nutrition
Calories: 213kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 54mg | Potassium: 38mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 256IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg
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Lenny
If I were to make in advance. Would I be able to leave the dough in the fridge for the next day or two and then bake?