Lemon Poppyseed Linzer Cookies

Lemon poppyseed Linzer cookies are a great option for when you want to make Christmas cookies, but want a break from the "traditional" holiday flavors. These almond cookies are bright, flavorful, and not too sweet! Plus, the designs are just so cute. You need these in your Christmas cookie box!

What are Linzer cookies?

I don’t know about you, but I love to learn new things- especially about history, and especially about food. So here’s a mini lesson on how Linzer cookies came to be!

Linzer cookies originated in the city of Linz, Austria. The recipe for the cookies evolved from the “Linzertorte” which was similar to a pie with it’s almond crust, black currant preserves filling, and lattice top. The recipe was developed using a crust made of nuts since they were easier to find than wheat/flour, which is why the Linzer cookie recipe uses almond flour!

Bakers came up with the cookie version to mimic the Linzertorte that they could sell around the holidays. The Linzer cookies consists of two cookies, with preserves sandwiched between the cookies. The top cookie has a cutout of a certain shape in the middle to look like the lattice of the Linzertorte with the preserves peeking through.

The top cookies are dusted with a healthy sprinkle of powdered sugar. Not sure if this was intentional, but the powdered sugar looks like snow which is so perfect for the holidays! If these don’t get you in the Christmas spirit, I don’t know what will honestly.

What do I need to make lemon poppyseed Linzer cookies?

Here’s everything you’ll need to make these cookies:

• Almond flour
• All-purpose flour
• Poppyseeds
• Salt
• Egg
• Vanilla extract
• Lemon extract
• Lemon Juice
• Butter
• Lemon zest
• Granulated sugar
• Lemon curd- use store bought or homemade
• Powdered sugar

What cookie cutters should I use?

They sell sets of Linzer cookie cutters that come with tons of cute cutout shapes, for example the angel, bell, snowman, and star shapes you see on these lemon poppyseed Linzer cookies.

However, you can just use a regular circle shaped cookie cutter and make the small center cutout with a piping tip!

Or you can totally get creative with different shapes, like a large Christmas tree with a small tree cutout in the center! Just use whatever you have.

How to make lemon poppyseed Linzer cookies

Linzer cookies can be made in four basic steps: making the dough, rolling the dough, baking, and assembling.

STEP ONE: make the dough

Grab three different bowls- small, medium, and large- cause we’re going to prep our ingredients!

In a medium bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients - flour, almond flour, poppyseeds, and salt - together.

Next, using a small bowl, beat together the egg, vanilla, lemon extract, and lemon juice. Finally, in a large bowl, beat together the butter, lemon zest, and sugar with a mixer, until it becomes light and fluffy.

Add the egg mixture to the butter and sugar, mix, and then add in the dry ingredients and combine. Your dough is done!

STEP TWO: rolling the dough

Divide your dough in half and form each half into a disc shape. Roll the dough out between 2 sheets of parchment paper, until the dough is about 1/8” thick.

The cookies should be rather thin, because we’re stacking two on top of each other.

Place the sheets of dough on a baking sheet and transfer them to the fridge to chill for 2 hours, or the freezer to chill for 30 minutes.

Once the dough is finished chilling, preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use cookie cutter of your choice to cut out the cookies, and use a smaller cookie cutter to cut windows in half of the cookies. The solid cookie with no cutout in the middle goes on the bottom and the cutout/window goes on top.

Tip: If the cookies are sticking to the cutter, try dusting the cookie cutter with flour.

STEP THREE: bake

Place the cookies on your prepared baking sheet, about 1” apart. Bake in preheated oven for 7-9 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

STEP FOUR: assemble

Once the cookies have cooled completely, spread about 1/2 teaspoon of lemon curd onto the center of a cookie, then top with a second cookie that has the cutout window.

If you want to, dust the cookies with a healthy portion of powdered sugar. This step is optional since they look so cute with the poppyseeds and you might not want to cover them up with the powdered sugar!

Now play some Christmas music and eat them ALL!

What do I do with the cookies cut out from the centers?

Collect the dough as scraps and re-roll to make more cookies, or bake them as is for a little snack!

More Linzers

If you're a fan of these lemon poppyseed Linzer cookies, check out my other Linzer cookie recipes:

• Nutella Linzer Cookies
• Classic Linzer Cookies

If you make these, I would really appreciate if you left a comment and a rating below! It helps more than you know. You can also tag me on Instagram @lalaskitchentable if you make one of my recipes- I love to see what you’re making! 🙂

Lemon Poppyseed Linzer Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups almond flour
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup poppyseeds
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp lemon extract
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon zest
• 1/2 cup lemon curd
• powdered sugar for garnish

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, all-purpose flour, poppyseeds, and salt. In a small bowl, beat together egg, lemon extract, lemon juice, and vanilla.

2. In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat together butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Add in the egg, lemon, and vanilla mixture and beat until combined. Add in dry ingredients and beat until just combined.

3. Divide the dough in half, forming each half into a flat disc. Place each disc between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll out to 1/8” thick. Place the sheets of dough on a baking sheet and transfer to refrigerator to chill for 2 hours, or freezer to chill for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Peel the parchment paper off the top of the dough sheet and cut the cookies using cookie cutter of your choice. Use a smaller cookie cutter to cut windows in half of the cookies.
5. Place cookies on prepared baking sheet, about 1” apart and bake for 7-9 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
6. Once cookies are completely cooled, spread about 1/2 tsp of lemon curd in the middle of one cookie, then top with a second cookie that has the cutout in the middle. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.