Linzer Cookies

We learn traditional cooking recipes which are passed from one generation to the next or from friends/neighbors. Now we have access to recipes from all around the world and we are able to cook even new recipes. I learnt this recipe from my Austrian friend, Andrea. This is one of Austria’s famous cookies and it is believed to have originated in the city of Linz.

In Linzer cookies, two cookies are sandwiched together with a layer of jam .The Top cookie, dusted with icing sugar has a hole (cutout), so that the jam is visible.

Ingredients:
300 g All Purpose Flour (Maida)
100 g Castor Sugar
2 Egg Yolks
200g Butter
¼ tsp Vanilla Essence (optional)
Apricot Jam or any other jam
Icing sugar for Garnishing

Preparation:
1. Mix Castor sugar, flour, butter, egg yolks together to make soft dough.

2. Take a small portion from the dough and roll the dough to ¼ inch thick.

3. Cut it into star shape using a star shape cutter.

4. Divide the star shaped cookies into 2 equal portions, and put a hole about 1/2 inch in half of the cookies

5. Grease the baking tray and sprinkle little flour over it.

6. Place the cookies about 1 inch apart.

7. Bake the cookies at 180 degrees C for 10-15 minutes/ until lightly browned.

8. Allow it to cool.

9. Once it is cooled apply jam on the stars and place the stars with the hole over the stars without the hole and press gently.

10. Sprinkle little icing sugar over them for garnishing.

Note:
1. If you don’t have apricot jam you can use any other jam of your choice.
2. You can also cut into round shape (2-3 inch) instead of star shape.
3. Always divide the dough into two portions and keep one portion in the fridge (to avoid getting dried).
4. Once you done cookies using the first portion and then you can take the second portion from the fridge and continue doing the cookies.