Vegan Linzer Cookies (No Almond Flour)
These classic dairy-free Linzer Cookies are the perfect balance between sweet and tart, an essential addition to the holiday season. This simple recipe is nut-free, so everyone can enjoy it!
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Sifter
- Rolling Pin
- Parchment paper
- 18-by-13 inch half sheet pan
Ingredients
Cookie dough:
- 2½ cup (300 g) unbleached all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (170 g) vegan butter or margarine (not unsalted) (1½ sticks) chilled and diced, I used Country Crock Plant Butter
- 1 cup (120 g) confectioners’ sugar scooped and leveled
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest finely grated
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy milk
Filling:
- 6 tablespoons (150 g) preserves of your choice I used raspberry and apricot
- 2 tablespoons (16 g) confectioners’ sugar for dusting optional
Instructions
Make the cookie dough:
- Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Add the vegan butter and rub it in using your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.2½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour, ¾ cup vegan butter or margarine (not unsalted), ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Add the vanilla and zest then sift in the confectioners’ sugar. Mix with a silicone spatula, then knead gently into a soft dough. Add the soy milk gradually if the dough is too dry to form a ball.1 cup confectioners’ sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon soy milk
- Shape it into a disk and wrap it with cling film. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Shape and bake the cookies:
- Remove ½ the dough and return the remainder to the fridge.
- Roll out the dough between two lightly floured sheets of parchment paper to ⅛ inch / 3mm thick.
- Cut out 24 circles at about 2¼ inches each. If the dough is too soft, slide it with the paper onto a baking tray and place it in the freezer for 5 minutes.
- Place the cutouts on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Place it in the freezer. Set a rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350°F (180°C).
- Bake the cookies for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges. Cool completely on the tray.
- Roll out the other half of the dough. Cut out 24 circles then the shapes in the middle with smaller cookie cutters.
- Place them on another tray, chill if needed then and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool completely on the tray.
Assemble the cookies:
- Add a small amount of the preserves in the center of the bottom half of the cookies.6 tablespoons preserves of your choice
- Dust the top of the cookies with confectioners’ sugar and place them on the bottom halves. Sandwich together.2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Notes
- Use a gentle hand when bringing the dough ingredients together. This stops gluten from developing, keeping the cookies tender and perfectly crumbly.
- Don’t skip refrigerating the dough. A warm dough spreads out in the oven, making cookies lose their shape.
- Dust the cutters with flour to limit the dough from sticking to them.
- Dusting the cookies with confectioners’ sugar after sandwiching can make the preserve look cloudy.
- This recipe is adapted from Gute Kueche.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Sandwich Cookie | Calories: 141kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 57mg | Potassium: 20mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 3IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg