Linzer Augen Cookies

⏳ Time

1 hour + 3 hours

🥕 Ingredients

🍽️ Servings

Description

Advent in Germany is the time for cookies. They are baked a week before Christmas Eve to allow them to rest, and then they fill the bags of costumed carolers who go door to door singing Christmas hymns. There are countless variations of cookies, but one of the most popular is Linzer Augen (not to be confused with Linzer Fingers, which are not cookies but sausages). From shortcrust pastry, an equal number of circles are cut, and in half of them, one or three round holes are made before they go into the oven. The whole circles are then topped with a glaze made from currant jam and are sandwiched together with the cookies. The holes filled with jam are the 'eyes' or 'windows,' which is what they are also called. They are also known as 'kisses,' 'rascals,' or 'Johannes's cookies.' According to legend, in the 17th century, during the Thirty Years' War, a baker named John von Redburg was the first to bake such cookies and gave them away for free on the streets of Linz to bring joy to the townspeople on Christmas Eve.

Ingredients

Almond - 4.9 oz
Powdered Sugar - 3.5 oz
Wheat Flour - 4.6 oz
Ground Cinnamon - ¼ spoons
Salt - a pinch
Butter - 6 oz
Chicken Egg - 1 piece
Vanilla extract - ½ spoons
Raspberry gin - 5.3 oz

Step by Step guide

Step 1

Prepare the necessary ingredients.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 356°F. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

Step 3

Then remove it and let it cool, then blend it in a blender.

Step 4

Mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.

Step 5

Add the softened butter and mix until crumbly. Then, add the egg, vanilla extract, and ground almonds.

Step 6

Knead the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Step 7

On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 6 mm. Cut out cookies using a cutter with a diameter of about 7 cm. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. For half of the cookies, cut out holes in the center using smaller cutters.