Yuzu Linzer Cookies are the ideal cookies to make this holiday season. These Linzer cookies have a bright, citrus yuzu curd sandwiched between two buttery almond shortbread cookies dusted with powdered sugar.
We have entered into the cookie-making territory. My kitchen for the last few weeks has been stocked with butter, flour, eggs, and sugar. I have made it my goal this season to make as many Asian fusion cookie recipes as I can possibly think of (check out my yuzu lemon crinkle cookies, matcha crinkle cookies, ube Lofthouse cookies, and browned butter miso chocolate chip cookies). I am so excited to share with you this week’s challenge— Yuzu Linzer cookies.
When it comes to the holiday season, I always look forward to Linzer cookies. The beautiful shortbread cookie with a subtle cinnamon and almond flavor paired with a bright fruit jam peeking out always makes me salivate and reach for more. When it comes to citrus-flavored cookies, I believe the balance between sweet and sour runs on a fine line. I am one of those people who think that desserts should never be “too sweet.” For this Linzer cookie recipe, the citrus curd may seem a little tart alone but paired with the powdered sugar-coated shortbread cookies it is a match made in heaven.
Linzer cookies or the Linzer torte is traditionally an Austrian pastry. It is a form of shortcake topped with fruit preserves and sliced nuts. This dessert originated in the Austrian city of Linz. The Linzer Torte is a holiday treat in the Austrian, Hungarian, Swiss, German, and Tirolean traditions often eaten at Christmas. Some United States bakeries have developed a cookie version of the traditional torte that is made up of a sandwiched cookie topped with fruit preserves and has a characteristic circle-shaped cutout.
Kitchen Equipment Essentials
Shortbread Cookies
Kitchen Scale: a kitchen scale is absolutely NECESSARY if you want to have foolproof bakes. This will ensure you have the exact measurements for each ingredient. My little pink kitchen scale is both aesthetic and precise.
Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer: you can use either a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer to cream the butter together with the ingredients. It may need a lot of elbow power if you decide to do this by hand.
Rolling Pin: you will need a rolling pin to roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness
Pastry Rolling mat: I love using these silicone pastry rolling mats for baking because it allows me to have an easy cleanup and it helps when the dough is too soft it allows me to lift the dough without too much breakage.
Linzer Cookie Cutter Set: you can use any type of cookie cutter or biscuit cutter you’d like. However, to make things easy, Amazon sells pre-made cookie cutter sets that have interchangeable shapes for the smaller windows inside.
Half-sheet Baking Sheet: you will need multiple baking sheets for this recipe. I have always used Nordicware aluminum baking sheets and they have never failed me.
Slipat:slipats are a baking tool that was sent from heaven. They never stick to any bake which makes the process so seamless.
Yuzu Curd
Double boiler: you will need a heat proof bowl and a saucepan that fits underneath the bowl. Ideally, the bowl will be propped on top of the saucepan and not touching the water.
Thermometer: you will need a thermometer to make sure the curd reaches a hot enough temperature so that it will set properly. If it does not get hot enough, the curd may not be set. However, you can alternatively eyeball this as well.
Fine mesh sieve: you will need a fine mesh sieve to sift out any clumps in the lemon curd.
Ingredients
Unsalted Butter: the butter is the base of this cookie. It will yield the beautiful buttery flaky crumb. Make sure the unsalted butter is at room temperature for easy mixing.
Powdered Sugar: using powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar will yield to a softer cookie.
Egg Yolks: the egg yolks are used to bind all the ingredients together.
Salt: the salt balances out the sugar in the cookie. If possible, use fine sea salt.
Cinnamon: the cinnamon adds a touch of holiday flavor to the dough.
Vanilla: vanilla is always a must. You can use either whole vanilla bean or vanilla extract.
Yuzu juice: if you have access to fresh yuzu in your area that is always best. However, if you don’t like me, you can buy yuzu juice in bottles online or at your local Japanese grocery market.
Lemon zest: for an added citrus kick you can always add a touch of lemon zest to your shortbread to brighten up the flavor.
All-Purpose Flour: the all-purpose flour is the main flour in this shortbread cookie.
Almond Flour: almond flour is necessary to add a touch of almond nuttiness to the shortbread.
How To Make Yuzu Linzer Cookies
This recipe makes the best Yuzu Linzer cookies you have ever tasted. It is a very standard cookie recipe that only requires a few easy steps! I’ve outlined all the tips for success below.
Shortbread Cookies
Combine the dry ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, almond flour, salt, and cinnamon until evenly combined.
Combine the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl of your stand mixer, (or you can use a hand mixer) beat the room temperature butter on medium speed until fluffy and creamy for about 1-2 minutes. Add sugar and beat to combine until fluffy. Next add the egg yolks and vanilla until combined.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and beat on low for 1 minute or until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue mixing until thoroughly combined.
Chill the dough. Divide the dough into two and shape into 1 inch thick discs. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour until chilled. The dough can last up to 2 days.
Prep the oven and baking sheets. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a slipmat. Set aside.
Roll and cut the dough. On a floured surface roll out dough discs into a ¼ inch thickness. Cut out cookies with your desired shapes and place on the prepared baking sheets with about 1-2 inch space in-between. Remember to cut half solid shapes and half with cut out “windows. Repeat until all the dough is cut. Chill the dough for an additional 15 minutes if the dough is too soft.
Bake. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for about 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges. Different sizes will require different amounts of cooking time so keep a close eye at the final minutes to make sure they do not overcook! Cool the cookies for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Yuzu Curd
Mix the In a medium heat-proof bowl, add the eggs, sugar, yuzu juice, lemon zest, and salt and whisk to combine.
Place the bowl in a double boiler. Place the bowl, over a saucepan filled with water making sure the water does not touch the bowl. Heat the double boiler on medium-high heat and whisk continuously and gently for a creamy texture and even cooking. You will need to stir for at least 10 minutes or until thick and reaches 170°F (77°C).
Add the butter. Once the curd has thickened, remove from heat fold in the butter using a rubber spatula.
Strain the curd. Using a fine mesh sieve, pour the curd through the sieve into a clean bowl. Cover the lemon curd with plastic wrap making sure the plastic wrap is touching the curd to prevent from developing a film.
Fill cooled cookies with the yuzu curd by spreading curd on the bottom of the whole cookie and place the one with the window cut out on top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Tips For The Best Yuzu Linzer Cookies
Use a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients! Cups and measuring spoons differ in size drastically. If you use too much flour and almond flour you run the risk of drying out these cookies.
Make sure to cream the butter before adding the ingredients. The creaming of the butter breaks down the butter and adds some air to it making it easier for the other ingredients to mix with the butter yielding a more even cookie dough.
Work on a flour-dustedsurface: when rolling out the dough, make sure your work surface is heavily dusted with flour to prevent it from sticking.
Use any cookie cutter you’d like! These are your Linzer cookies! Do whatever you’d like
Substitutions: you can always substitute the all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour for an alternative. Also, you can use any jam filling you’d like if you do not want to use the yuzu curd you can simply opt out of it.
Make sure the yuzu curd is thick enough before removing it from heat. You can check whether the curd is finished either by using a thermometer at 170°F (77°C) or by checking to see if the texture is thick.
Storage Instructions
You can store these yuzu Linzer cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Make Ahead Instructions
You can make these cookies in advance by freezing the unbaked dough. Place the wrapped dough disks in a ziplock bag or air-tight container. When you are ready to bake, thaw the dough in the fridge overnight before baking.
You can also freeze the baked cookies in a freezer-proof container for up to 3 months.
⅓cup(75 g) unsalted buttercubed at room temperature
Instructions
Shortbread Cookies
Combine the dry ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, almond flour, salt, and cinnamon until evenly combined.
Combine the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl of your stand mixer, (or you can use a hand mixer) beat the room temperature butter on medium speed until fluffy and creamy for about 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and add sugar and beat to combine until fluffy. Next add the egg yolks, vanilla, and lemon zest until combined.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and beat on low for 1 minute or until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue mixing until thoroughly combined.
Chill the dough. Divide the dough into two and shape it into 1 inch thick discs. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour until chilled. The dough can last up to 2 days.
Prep the oven and baking sheets. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a slipmat. Set aside.
Roll and cut the dough. On a floured surface roll out dough discs into a ¼ inch thickness. Cut out cookies with your desired shapes and place them on the prepared baking sheets with about 1-2 inch space in-between. Remember to cut half solid shapes and half with cut-out "windows. Repeat until all the dough is cut. Chill the dough for an additional 15 minutes if the dough is too soft.
Bake. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for about 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges. Different sizes will require different amounts of cooking time so keep a close eye on the final minutes to make sure they do not overcook! Cool the cookies for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Yuzu Curd
Mix the In a medium heatproof bowl, add the eggs, sugar, yuzu juice, lemon zest, and salt and whisk to combine.
Place the bowl in a double boiler. Place the bowl, over a saucepan filled with water making sure the water does not touch the bowl. Heat the double boiler on medium-high heat and whisk continuously and gently for a creamy texture and even cooking. You will need to continuously stir for at least 10-15 minutes or until it thickens and reaches 160°F (71°C).
Add the butter. Once the curd has thickened, remove from heat and fold in the butter using a rubber spatula.
Strain the curd. Using a fine-mesh sieve, pour the curd through the sieve into a clean bowl. Cover the lemon curd with plastic wrap making sure the plastic wrap is touching the curd to prevent it from developing a film.
Assemble. Fill cooled cookies with the yuzu curd by spreading curd on the bottom of the whole cookie and placing the one with the window cut out on top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Notes
Use a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients! Cups and measuring spoons differ in size drastically. If you use too much flour and almond flour you run the risk of drying out these cookies.
Make sure to cream the butter before adding the ingredients. The creaming of the butter breaks down the butter and adds some air to it making it easier for the other ingredients to mix with the butter yielding a more even cookie dough.
Work on a flour-dusted surface: when rolling out the dough, make sure your work surface is heavily dusted with flour to prevent it from sticking.
Use any cookie cutter you'd like! These are your Linzer cookies! Do whatever you'd like
Substitutions: you can always substitute the all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour for an alternative. Also, you can use any jam filling you'd like if you do not want to use the yuzu curd you can simply opt out of it.
Make sure the yuzu curd is thick enough before removing it from heat. You can check whether the curd is finished either by using a thermometer (170°F (77°C) or by checking to see if the texture is thick.
Storage Instructions
You can store these yuzu Linzer cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Made this for my Christmas cookie box and received so many compliments! It was definitely the big winner out of all the cookies I tried. I did added in yuzu marmalade after the curd had cooled just cause i had it and I feel like it enhanced the yuzu curd quite a lot!
Made this for my Christmas cookie box and received so many compliments! It was definitely the big winner out of all the cookies I tried. I did added in yuzu marmalade after the curd had cooled just cause i had it and I feel like it enhanced the yuzu curd quite a lot!