Description
Sweet heart-shaped Nutella Linzer Cookies bring European charm to delightful dessert tables. Delicate Austrian-inspired pastries sandwich rich chocolate hazelnut spread between buttery, crisp cookie layers, creating irresistible treats you’ll adore.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients (Flour and Sugar):
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (100 g) almond flour or finely ground almonds
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
Dairy and Binding Ingredients:
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Flavor and Seasoning Ingredients:
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (200 g) Nutella (or other hazelnut spread)
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Prepare a velvety cookie dough by whipping softened butter and sugar together until they transform into a light, airy mixture. Incorporate the egg and fragrant extracts, blending until smooth and uniform.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour blend, combining all-purpose and almond flour with a pinch of salt to create a delicate dry mixture.
- Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the creamy butter mixture, gently mixing until a cohesive dough forms. Avoid overmixing to maintain the cookies’ tender texture.
- Divide the dough into two equal portions, pressing each into a flat disc. Wrap individually in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavors to meld and the dough to firm up.
- Heat the oven to 350F, preparing baking sheets with parchment paper for optimal cookie release.
- On a lightly dusted surface, roll out the chilled dough to a delicate 1/8-inch thickness. Use heart-shaped cutters to create elegant cookie bases and window-topped companions.
- Carefully transfer the delicate cut-outs to prepared baking sheets, ensuring gentle spacing between each cookie.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, watching for a subtle golden edge. Rotate the sheets midway to ensure even, perfect browning.
- Allow cookies to rest briefly on the baking sheets, then transfer to a cooling rack to reach room temperature.
- Spread a luxurious layer of Nutella on the solid cookie bases, creating a rich, chocolatey foundation.
- Gently crown each Nutella-covered cookie with its windowed counterpart, creating a charming sandwich.
- Finish by dusting the assembled cookies with a delicate snowfall of powdered sugar, adding a touch of sweet elegance to these romantic treats.
Notes
- Achieve perfectly soft cookies by ensuring butter is at room temperature before creaming, which helps create a smooth, even texture.
- Prevent dough from sticking by chilling it thoroughly, making rolling and cutting much easier and maintaining the cookie’s shape during baking.
- Use a light touch when handling the delicate heart-shaped cookies to avoid breaking their fragile edges, especially with the window-cut versions.
- Swap Nutella for alternative spreads like raspberry jam or almond butter to accommodate different dietary preferences or allergies.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Austrian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 197
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 55 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 31 mg