“Linzer tarts come in all shapes, sizes, and flavors. This recipe comes from Hungarian Holocaust survivor, Mary Mayer. You can fill yours with any preserve of your choosing and make them holiday specific with a unique cookie cutter. No matter how you handle them, they are melt-in-your-mouth delicious.” —June Hersh, junehersh.com
Raspberry Linzer Tarts
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium20
1-inch cookies3
hours12
minutes3
hours12
minutesThis recipe for raspberry Linzer tarts can easily be adapted to feature a variety of preserves. It makes 20-24 one-inch cookies, 16-18 two-inch cookies, or 10-12 three-inch cookies.
Ingredients
8 Tbsp butter, room temperature
½ cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon almond extract
1¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus another ¼ cup
1 cup preserves, any flavor
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Directions
- Prepare the dough by beating the butter and sugar on medium speed in a standing mixer until light and creamy. Add the egg yolks, vanilla or almond extract, and one-and-a-quarter cups flour. Mix the ingredients on low speed until they are incorporated. Remove from the processor and work the dough with your hands on a lightly floured surface, slowly adding up to one-quarter cup of the remaining flour to form a firm, non-sticky dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and flatten into a thick disc. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Divide the dough into several pieces to make rolling easier. Generously sprinkle your work area with flour. Roll the dough to a quarter-inch thick, and using a cookie cutter, cut into the desired size and shape. Create a small hole in the center of one half of the pieces by pressing a thimble or bottle cap into the dough; these pieces will be the tops of the finished cookie. Using a cookie spatula, place the cookies on the prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes or until they are a very light golden color. Gently lift the cookies off the baking sheet and allow them to cool before assembling. When cool, turn the bottoms over (the ones without the hole) and dollop a teaspoonful of your favorite preserve. Cover with the top piece and press gently, allowing the filling to spill out of the hole, and then add an extra dollop of preserves right in the center.
- Sprinkle lightly with confectioners’ sugar.
Notes
- Recipe reprinted from Food, Hope & Resilience: Authentic Recipes and Remarkable Stories from Holocaust Survivors. June Hersh (The History Press, November 2023).
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