Christmas cookies embody the joy of holiday cooking


The holiday season simply wouldn’t be the same without food. The joyful spirit of the season lends itself to sharing a bite if not a full meal with family and friends.
Perhaps that explains why so many people embrace the joy of baking each holiday season. Some bake to honor and continue family traditions, while others spend hours crafting cookies to put a smile on the face of loved ones each holiday season.
Whatever it is that inspires individuals to break out the measuring cups, flour and whisk, cookie fans undoubtedly appreciate that spark of confectionary creativity. This holiday season, those with an urge to bake some cookies can try this recipe for “Christmas Linz Shortbread Cookies with Red Jam” from Lines+Angles.
Christmas Linz Shortbread Cookies With Red Jam
Makes 24 cookies 2 cups all-purpose flour ¾ cup almond flour ½ teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 cup unsalted butter, softened ¾ cup sugar 2 egg yolks 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon lemon zest ½ cup raspberry jam ½ cup powdered sugar In a large bowl, whisk the flour, almond flour, salt, and cinnamon together. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in the egg yolks, vanilla extract and lemon zest and continue to beat until well incorporated.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and continue to beat until just combined to form a dough. Divide the dough in half; pat each half into a disc, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and let it soften for about 5 minutes, until soft enough to roll. On a lightly floured surface, roll one disc of dough out to about 1⁄4” thickness. Using a 3” cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Cut out a top for each cookie using a smaller cookie cutter to cut out the center. Transfer the cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gather the scrap dough, roll, and repeat.
Place the first batch of cut cookies in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill. Preheat the oven to 350 F and repeat the process with the second batch of dough.
Bake the chilled cookies for about 12 minutes or until just starting to turn golden around the edges. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes until transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, spread the bottom half of each cookie with some raspberry preserves, leaving a thin border around each cookie. Dust the tops of each cookie with powdered sugar and place on its corresponding bottom half. Use a spoon or piping bag to fill the cut-out center with a little more of the preserves.
Preparation time: 30 minutes Resting time: 1 hour, 30 minutes Baking time: 15 minutes Difficulty: Easy