Gluten-Free Linzer Tarts
A fun and festive gluten-free cookie made with raspberry jam (or your choice of jam) sandwiched between two almond-flavored shortbread cookies. Super easy recipe is perfect for the holidays, Valentine's Day or any time you want a pretty and really yummy cookie. Recipe halves well. I generally make 24 cookies at a time. It is a simple recipe but directions look long because I give lots of tips!
Servings: 48 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter or dairy-free butter room temperature
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups gluten free all purpose flour with xanathan gum we used GFJules, affiliate link
- 1 cup finely chopped almonds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup raspberry jam or jam or choice
- ½ cup powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
Make the dough
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes, scraping down sides as needed.
- Add in eggs and vanilla, and mix to combine. At this point, the batter may look a little clumpy. NOTE: when I halve the recipe I add in egg and vanilla together. When making full recipe, I either add in eggs one at a time or lightly whisk them first, then add in both eggs with vanilla. Both ways work.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, ground almonds, baking powder, salt and cinnamon, and combine using a whisk, fork or pastry cutter. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix to combine. Batter will form fairly quickly, continue to mix about 1 minute in total until forms a cookie dough that you can take out and form into a ball.
- Using your hands, form dough into a ball, wrap in wax paper and chill for minimum 1 hour. You can chill overnight, up to 2 days, before rolling. If chilling overnight or longer, I like to place ball in wax paper also in a plastic bag to prevent drying out.
Roll out Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Removed dough from refrigerator and let sit for 5 minutes. Cut dough in half if you've halved the recipe, or in 3 or 4 pieces if you made the full recipe, and work with part of the dough at a time. Keep other part of dough wrapped in wax paper to keep from drying out.
- Using a rolling pin and silicone mat or wooden board, spread gluten free all purpose flour on the mat and on the rolling pin, roll dough approximately 1/4 inch thick. A few tips: It helps to lift and turn the dough frequently as you roll to avoid sticking. If dough seems sticky at all, add extra flour to the mat or even lightly dust the top of the dough. Dough rolls best when cool so if dough getting too warm, place in refrigerator for a few minutes.
- Using a Linzer Cookie Cutter (Amazon affiliate link) or cookie cutter of choice, cut out an equal amount 2 inch circles and 2 inch cut outs. (top and bottom of sandwich cookie) Place on prepared baking sheet so that cookies do not touch. Repeat using scraps of dough by forming scraps into a ball and re-rolling. If the scraps won't roll well, you can actually press them down gently using your hands, it is a very forgiving dough! Tip: If you don't have a Linzer cookie cutter, you could either make them as sandwich cookies without the cut out or carefully make a circle cut out yourself.
- Cookies will not spread when they bake, so when your sheets are full, bake 9-10 minutes or until just set and staring to get golden on edges.
- Repeat with remaining dough.
- Let baked cookies cool on baking sheet. Then when fully cooled place in a sealed container until ready to assemble. This will keep the cookie crisp.
Assemble Cookies
- Spread approximately 1 teaspoon jam onto the full circle cookies.
- Meanwhile, lightly dust the cut out side of the cookie with powdered sugar. I like to place the sugar in a bowl and dip the top of the cookie into the sugar but any way will work! Place on top of the jam. And enjoy!
Storing, Freezing, Making Ahead
- Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to a week. See notes below for freshest cookies.
- Cookies will get softer after a few days of being filled so to keep extra fresh and have powdered sugar look freshest, fill cookies the day of serving. That said, they don't get too soft and still taste great days later!
- Cookies can be baked and stored separately in a sealed container at room temperature for several days before assembling with jam.
- To freeze, freeze cookies without the jam.
Tried this recipe?Mention @HealthyGFFamily or tag #HealthyGFFamily!
These were exactly what I was looking for. I used half of the dough for classic Linzer cookies. The other half I cut out using a acorn cutter. After they were baked and cooled, I used melted chocolate to create the acorn caps. Both versions were a huge hit with folks who’d weren’t gluten-free, but raved all the same.
So happy you loved them! Love how you made them into chocolate acorns too… Sounds yummmy! Thank you and thanks for sharing@