With Valentine’s Day approaching, I dusted off my heart shaped cookie cutters to bring you this Strawberry Linzer Cookies recipe. These cookies consist of a simple nutty cookie dough, rolled, cut and filled with strawberry jam and dusted with icing sugar. They are delicate, sweet, and very easy to eat a dozen.
I’m currently prepping dozens of Valentine’s Day cookie boxes for the café. These romantic Strawberry Linzer Cookies are the focal point of the little treat boxes.
A Valentine’s Day Rant
I’d call liking Valentine’s Day a controversial opinion of mine. I very much dislike obligatory cards, gifts, and the commercialization of holidays in general. However, I do love treats and little gestures of gratitude and fondness, and I love chocolate and baking. I dislike the focus on long-term romantic relationships as being the highest standard of love and devotion, but I love celebrating the great loves in my life.
Therefore, I refuse to let Valentine’s Day be about only romantic love and coupledom. Instead, I use this day in the middle of winter to reflect on the love I have in my life. I have an amazing life partner, but I also have two cats and a dog that I love dearly and that bring me SO MUCH JOY. I have long friendships that have withstood the test of time and distance; I have new friendships that have filled my cup during a pandemic and a time of isolation. I am part a large family that is constantly growing with the arrival of babies and life partners so that each family gathering is louder and fuller than the last. I experience little moments with customers and coworkers that make my days pass by in laughter and connectivity.
The Love Language of Cooking
Feeding others is how I express love. I consider it the sixth love language, if you are into the theory of love languages. Cooking and baking requires time, planning, preparation and care. It is a gift and an act of service; it is kindness and compassion. Whether it’s preparing an extravagant meal for a romantic partner, dropping off a casserole for a new mom, or cooking up a box of Kraft Dinner with your friends at the end of a night out, feeding others is an expression of your soul.
So whether you celebrate your love with your romantic partner, pet fish, or a dozen of these Strawberry Linzer Cookies, I wish for you to have a very happy Valentine’s Day.
Equipment and Ingredients
You likely have all or most of the ingredients and equipment at home to make these cookies. However, here are a few of my favorites to make these cookies.
A marble rolling pin
cookie cutters will level up your Linzer cookies
I got my marble rolling pin at HomeSense, but they are easy to find anywhere. This one on Amazon is identical to the one I own. I love mine because it’s very heavy, meaning less work on my arms. As a bonus, I put in my freezer for 15 minutes before rolling out the dough, and it will help keep the dough chilled!
Of course, you can use whatever rolling pin you have on hand. In a pinch, I’ve also used a roll of saran wrap or a wine bottle. There’s no judgement here if you need to get creative to make these cookies.
Heart shaped cookie cutters
I originally bought these cookie cutters on Amazon for the flower shapes, knowing they would come in handy for Valentine’s Day. They are quite small in size, which I like for a double stacked, delicate cookie such as these Strawberry Linzer Cookies.
A mini sifter
I own two of these mini sifters (Amazon link). Sometimes I don’t want to wash a giant sifter, and sometimes I just need to dust little treats in icing sugar such as these cookies. They are also great for straining cocktails or catching seeds when you juice citrus fruits by hand.
Natural strawberry extract
I struggled to find a strawberry extract that wasn’t artificially flavored and colored. I bought this one from Amazon last year and am just finishing it off now. You don’t need to use strawberry extract in this recipe but it does amp up the strawberry flavor. You can easily substitute vanilla or almond extract. I also use it in strawberry icing and glazes for cookies and donuts.
Strawberry Linzer Cookies Recipe
Strawberry Linzer Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie Cutters
- Rolling Pin
- Mini Sifter
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter softened, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup (65g) white sugar
- 1 egg large, at room temperature
- 1 tsp extract almond or strawberry extract
- 1 cup (135g) all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (50g) almond flour or meal
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup (approx.) strawberry jam for filling
- 1/4 cup (approx.) icing sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes)
- Add egg, extract and salt, stir until combined (about 30 seconds)
- Stir in flour and almond meal until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl (about 1 minute)
- Wrap and chill dough in fridge for minimum 30 minutes.
- On a floured surface or between two pieces of parchment paper, roll out dough until 1/4 inch thick.
- Cut with desired shape of cookie cutter. In half of the cut pieces, cut out a window. These will the the tops of your cookies. Transfer to cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, or a greased cookie pan.
- It is important that the dough is still chilled before baking. If it has warmed and softened during the rolling process, return cookie sheets to the fridge to chill.
- Bake at 350F for 10-14 minutes, depending on the size and shape of the cookies. Keep a close eye on them, and remove from oven when edges are lightly golden.
- Cool on pan for 3-5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to completely cool.
- When cool, spread bottoms of cookies with strawberry jam, leaving a small jam-less border to account for spreading when the cookies are assembled.
- Dust tops of cookies with icing sugar. Assemble and enjoy.
Notes
I‘d love to know if you try this recipe! Share your feedback and photos below, or drop me a line about the greatest loves of your life.
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