Recipe Spotlight: We’re Loving Linzer Cookies

With Valentine’s day coming up, you could gift a standard box of chocolates and call it a day. Or, you could gift your special someone something made from the heart—like homemade cookies (bonus if they’re heart-shaped).

One recipe we recommend? Linzer cookies.

What Are Linzer Cookies?

Among sugar cookies and gingerbread, Linzer cookies are a winter staple. These delightful little cookies are reminiscent of bite-sized pies, perfect for an after-meal treat (or an anytime treat). 

They have a long history starting all the way in Europe hundreds of years ago.

Who invented Linzer cookies?

Before they were cookies, these treats were actually tortes (or little tarts). 

Linzer tortes are one of the oldest torte recipes, dating back to 17th century Austria. 

The crust is made with ground nuts (which were easier to come by than wheat flour at the time), often almonds or hazelnuts, eggs, spices, and lemon zest. Traditionally, the filling is made with black currant preserves and finished with a lattice.

In the mid-19th century, the Linzer cookie tradition made its way to America with Austrian and German immigrants. 

But why are they called Linzer cookies?

Linzer cookies got their name when bakers in Linz, Austria, came up with a more efficient, accessible way to showcase these tarts in their shops. Their solution? Put them into a cookie form. 

In their new form, Linzer cookies were much easier to display in shop windows and made a more enticing treat for shoppers on the go.

What is a Linzer cookie made of?

Linzer cookies use the same type of dough as the original tarts. Only now, they feature fun center cutouts (called “Linzer eyes”), traditionally circle-shaped, but now often featuring stars and hearts. 

After baking, they’re assembled like a sandwich, with jam in the middle and a dusting of powdered sugar to top it off. 

Some people nowadays prefer a chocolate hazelnut filling, but traditionally, black currant preserves are used.

In America, raspberry jam is a common Linzer cookie filling.

Making Linzer Cookies at Home

Linzer cookies are DIY-friendly—you can make them right at home! 

Our Linzer Heart Cookies baking kit comes with everything you’ll need to make these cookies. It even comes with a heart-shaped cookie cutter, so you can really share the love.

Plus, our shelf-stable ingredients are pre-measured, so there’s no waste, no mess, and no hassle—just a fun baking adventure. 

How long do Linzer cookies stay fresh?

We recommend using your Linzer Heart Cookies baking kit within 3 months of receiving it. 

After baking, your cookies will stay fresh for up to 2 days in an air-tight container at room temperature. In the refrigerator, they can last up to a week.

Love your Linzer cookies kit? We’ve got more where that came from! 

Check out our other limited-time recipes along with our anytime, all-the-time essentials. 

Or, sign up for a subscription to get a new kit delivered to your door each month. 

We rotate our recipes seasonally and offer a variety of flavors from around the world.