About this recipe
This is not a tray of cookies.
It's a single circle that carries hands that are no longer here, and little fingers sticky with jam.
On the table: flour, cookie cutters, and two worlds side by side: grandma, who has shapes in perfect rows, and a little girl who purposely cuts odd numbers so there are always "extras".
Those surplus pieces, just spread on the surface, belong to grandpa. He winks, as if it's a secret deal. Grandma pretends not to see. That's childhood – sweet, a little disobedient, completely real.
This is not a tray of cookies.
It's one circle that remembers hands that are no longer here –
and crumbs that always found their way to grandpa.
And the recipe is real – from my grandmother.
Ingredients for 2 trays of round love
Dough
- 420 g Sifted all-purpose flour
- 140 g Powdered sugar, sifted
- 270 g Softened butter
- 4 pcs Egg yolks
- pinch Salt
- 1/2 pc Finely grated zest from organic lemon
For finishing
- to taste Powdered sugar for dusting
- to taste Jam of your choice
Preparation
Dough that knows your hands
Sift flour onto a work surface, add sugar, butter, egg yolks, lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Work quickly into a smooth dough. Don't knead long – just enough to hold together. Form the dough into a log, wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (overnight is fine).
The dough remembers touch. The more gently you handle it, the more delicate the result will be.
Cutting and the secret deal with grandpa
Preheat oven to 170–175 °C (340–350 °F). Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 3–4 mm thickness. Cut circles with a wavy edge. For half the circles, cut a heart in the center – these will be the "tops".
And here comes grandpa: leave a few circles without a match. These will be odd pieces that are just spread with jam on top, like before. Place the cut shapes slowly on trays lined with parchment paper.
Baking
Place the tray in the preheated oven and bake until lightly pink, about 7–10 minutes depending on your oven. Let the cookies cool directly on the tray – they are delicate.
Assembly and snow dusting
Spread a layer of jam on the full circles. Cover with the heart-cut piece. Lightly dust the finished sandwiched cookies with powdered sugar. Odd circles without a match are just spread with jam on top. These are "grandpa's pieces".
Conclusion
Don't bake them to be "perfect". Bake them so your home smells good when you come back from work and it's a little quiet.
You can just make one tray. A few pieces are enough to give to friends on Christmas Eve – and leave one cookie for yourself. For the moment when you need time to stop for a while.
Chef's Tips
🍓 Jam
Try jam with strawberry and pomegranate flavor – it's summer with Christmas in one spoonful.
✨ Tonka bean
You can also add a bit of tonka bean to the dough – flavor: a blend of almonds, vanilla, caramel and a gentle rum undertone. The linzer will be deeper, warmer and more festive. A few strokes with a fine grater is enough for 1 batch of dough.
Recipe Additions
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