In this series about Christmas cookies, I am introducing four of the most popular and easiest cookies using the recipes I learned from my grandmother. Culinary anthropologists believe that Christmas cookies originated in Germany. For a long time, only noble families and the upper class could afford to bake cookies because they contained expensive ingredients and exotic spices such as ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. Poor people could only afford to indulge in fruits and nuts.  

Learn more about the Czech pagan, Advent, and Christmas traditions here

Linzer cookies are probably the best know European cookies in the US. They actually originated in Austria, another Central European country of which the Czech Republic was part until 1918. They got named after the city of Linz. They are also known as Linzer tarts, and they exist in a similar form in other countries. The dough of Linzer cookies is very similar to Mexican wedding cookies or Russian tea cakes. As with all other Christmas cookies, they have a pagan tradition, where the round cookies represent the Sun but can be made in the shape of hearts, flowers, or stars. The buttery pastry is soft and tender. The classical filling in this recipe is a seedless currant marmalade. Raspberry can also be used, but the taste of tangy currant marmalade is second to none.

Ingredients for baking cookies sitting on a counter

Gather all of your ingredients.

Linzer cookings on a blue plate

Linzer Cookies

Magda Born
In this series about Christmas cookies, I am introducing four of the most popular and easiest cookies using the recipes I learned from my grandmother. Linzer cookies are probably the best know European cookies in the US. They actually originated in Austria, another Central European country of which the Czech Republic was part until 1918. They got named after the city of Linz. 
Baking requires exact measurements. One gram is .035 oz. Most scales have ounce and grams settings.
Course Dessert

Ingredients
  

  • 750 g Flour “00”
  • 250 g Confectioner’s sugar
  • 500 g Butter European-style butter produces the best results
  • 2 Egg yolks
  • 2 Tbs Lukewarm water
  • Lemon zest
  • 400 g Seedless red currant jam

Instructions
 

  • Mix all ingredients into a dough, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest in the refrigerator for about one hour. 
    In my household, we usually make all of the cookie dough in one day and refrigerate them until we are ready to make cookies.           
    3 batches of cookie dough rolled up in plastic film
  • Roll the dough out to a thickness of ¼ inch, and cut out the shapes. Various cookie-cutter sets are available, like the one depicted in the upper right.
    Cookie dough rolled out on a counter while a hand is cutting out circles
  • You can also improvise with your cutting tools if your set does not contain the right sizes, just like my grandmother used to do.
    Cookie dough rolled out on a counter with a wineglass and thimble sitting on it to use as cutting tools
  • Cut out flowers, hearts, stars, or round shapes. Make sure you cut a circle in the middle of half of the cookies so that they can be “paired up.” 
    different shapes of cookie dough cut out and sitting on a baking sheet
  • Bake in a preheated oven at 350F until golden, about 15 minutes.
    Baked cookies on a cookie sheet
  • This batch will make several sheets of cookies, and while baking them, they will tell you how evenly, or not, your oven is baking. Some cookies, if overbaked, will need to be designated as “seconds.” After baking, let the cookies cool and firm overnight before decorating.  
    Baked cookies on a cookie sheet, but some are overly dark.
  • The next day carefully spread the bottom half of the cookie part with jam and cover it with the top piece with a hole in the middle. Sugar-dust the top.  
    Cookies assembled on a cookie sheet. Half are dusted with powdered sugar.
  • Store the completed cookies in a tight-lidded box in a cool place and let them soften up until Christmas.
    Finished cookies in a container
  • Share with your friends!
    Finished cookies in a container

Magda Born

mborn@kckpl.org

Community Services Librarian

Kansas City, Kansas Public Library

625 Minnesota Ave.

Kansas City, KS 66101

913-295-8250 ext 1103

Resources: 

book cover Christmas at Highclere

Christmas at Highclere: recipes & traditions from the real Downton Abbey by Fiona Carnarvon

Format: 

Book

Call Number: 

book cover Christmas Baking

Christmas baking: festive cookies, candies, cakes, breads, and snacks to bring comfort and joy to your holiday by Joyce Klynstra and Laura Klynstra

Format: Book

Call Number: 641.5686 KLYNSTRA

book cover Baking for the Holidays

Baking for the holidays: 50+ treats for a festive season  by Sarah Kieffer

Format: Book

Call Number: 641.568 KIEFFER