Linzer Sugar Cookies with Lemon Curd

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Our Linzer Sugar Cookies are irresistibly delicious. These star-shaped sandwich cookies are filled with lemon curd and sprinkled with powdered sugar. These special Christmas cookies look like they came from a bakery. Perfect for cookie exchanges, parties and holiday gifts.

📌 Pin Linzer Sugar Cookies

Linzer Sugar Cookies with lemon curd

This European Christmas treat has its roots in Linz, Austria. The Linzertorte was introduced to America in the mid-1850s. Later, this pastry inspired recipes for Linzer cookies.

Traditional Linzer cookies are round with a cutout in the center revealing raspberry preserves. But nowadays, these Christmas sugar cookies are made in a wide assortment of shapes. These Linzer cookies are a double star with lemon curd in the middle. They look extra special.

Christmas Cookies

🛒 Ingredients

  • Butter: For richness, moisture and a buttery taste. Select a high-quality butter like Costco’s Kirkland brand, Tillamook or Challenge.
  • Vegetable Shortening: Has a higher melting point compared to butter. It helps produce a cookie that’s soft, light and holds its shape during baking.
  • Granulated Sugar: Adds the perfect amount of sweetness.
  • Eggs: Help bind the other ingredients together.
  • Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the butter and sugar.
  • Lemon Juice: Adds freshness, with a bright citrus flavor.
  • All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure and strength for the cookie dough.
  • Baking Powder: This leavening agent provides the perfect amount of rise for light, tender sugar cookies.
  • Kosher Salt: Balances the flavor of the other ingredients
  • Lemon Curd: Homemade or store-bought. My preferred brand is Bonne Maman
  • Powdered Sugar: For sprinkling.
Batter for Linzer cookies in mixing bowl

📖 Recipe Steps

Make the Dough

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and lemon juice. Mix until incorporated.
Mixing bowl with ingredients for Linzer cookies
  1. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl. Mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
Dough for Linzer cookies
  1. Divide the cookie dough into two balls. Cover the pieces in plastic wrap or put them in a zip-top bag. Chill the dough for 30-35 minutes in the freezer. Don’t skip this step!
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Start by working with one piece of dough.Roll out dough to an approximate thickness of 1/4 – 1/8 of an inch.
Sugar Cookies on a cutting board.

Cut Star Shapes & Bake

⭐️ Recipe Yield: 48 individual stars to make 24 Linzer cookies.

  1. Cut out star shapes with a 3-inch star cookie cutter. Transfer the cutouts to a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a reusable silicone baking mat. Gather dough scraps into a ball. Return to freezer until cold.
  2. Bake sugar cookies for 8 minutes. Don’t allow Linzer cookies to become golden. We want them light and pale.
  3. Continue rolling, cutting, and baking. During this process, briefly store unbaked dough in the freezer.
Sugar cookies on a baking tray.
  1. Allow freshly-baked stars to cool on the cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes. Gently transfer the Linzer cookies to a cooling rack. After sugar cookies have completely cooled, they’re ready to assemble!
Assembling Christmas Cookies.

Assemble Linzer Cookies

  1. Place a round dollop of lemon curd in the center of 24 sugar cookies. Create a stacked cookie by placing a second star on top. Gently twist the top star so its points are off-set from the bottom star.
  2. Sift powdered sugar over the top of the Christmas cookies.
Christmas Cookies in double star shapes.

🧑🏼‍🍳 Expert Tips

  • Very cold dough is the secret to sugar cookies that keep their shape. Between batches, continuously return the dough to the freezer. Don’t leave unbaked cookies sitting out on a tray for more than 10-12 minutes. Briefly place the tray of unbaked cookies into the freezer to keep the dough chilled.
  • If cutout shapes cannot be lifted from your cutting board without bending, the dough is not cold enough. But the chilled dough should be easy to work with, not overly stiff.
Linzer cookies in a loaf pan

🎄 More Christmas Cookies

Rate This Recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Flavor testers rated these the BEST Christmas cookies. They adored the star shapes of these Linzer sugar cookies with lemon curd. The cookies are tender and flavorful, and the lemon curd is bright and delicious. They enjoyed the powder sugar sprinkled on top.

If you agree this recipe’s a keeper, give it a 5-star rating in the comments. Then be a recipe hero. Share it with friends. 📌 Pin it to Pinterest.

Gold Line: Sprinkles of Inspiration | confettiandbliss.com
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Linzer Christmas Cookies

Linzer Sugar Cookies with Lemon Curd


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 18 reviews

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Description

These beautiful double-star cookies are a unique spin on traditional Linzer sugar cookies. Filled with lemon curd and sprinkled with powdered sugar, these Christmas cookies are the perfect dessert for cookie exchanges and holiday parties.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 vegetable shortening (like Crisco), chilled
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup lemon curd
  • 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter, shortening and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Mix until well blended. Add flour, salt and baking powder to the bowl. Mix until ingredients are incorporated. Do not over-mix the dough.
  2. With clean hands, gather the dough into a ball. Divide it half. Place both pieces in a large zip-top bag. Chill the dough in the freezer for 30-35 minutes. Remove one piece of dough from the freezer. Place it on a board. The cold dough should be a little stiff but still pliable enough to be worked with.
  3. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  4. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a thickness between 1/4 inch and 1/8 inch. Cut out sugar cookies with a 3-inch star-shaped cookie cutter. Gather together the scraps of dough and briefly return them to the freezer. Transfer cut-out stars to an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Do not over-bake. Linzer sugar cookies should be light in color, not golden brown.
  5. Allow the stars to cool on the baking tray for 8-10 minutes. Gently transfer the Christmas cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat the process of rolling, cutting, and baking with remaining dough.
  6. Assemble the Linzer cookies: Place 12 sugar cookies flat side up. Add a dollop of lemon curd to the center of each star. Create a sandwich cookie by placing a second star on top. Gently twist the top star so its points alternate with the bottom cookie. Sprinkle sifted powdered sugar on top.

Notes

Recipe Yield: 48 stars, enough to make 24 Linzer cookies.

The secret to sugar cookies that keep their shape: Very cold dough. Keep it chilled in the freezer between batches. If dough is the right temperature, cutouts should easily lift off your work surface without bending.

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 8 minutes
  • Category: Cookies
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: European
Gold Line: Sprinkles of Inspiration | confettiandbliss.com

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Are you excited to make these Christmas sugar cookies with lemon curd? Have you tried Linzer cookies before? Join the conversation in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you.

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46 Comments

  1. These Christmas cookies look delicious and something I want to add on my To-Try list for baking. Seems like a perfect recipe for this season.

  2. these Linzer cookies look so amazing, and I am a huge fan of lemon curd. Cant believe I have never heard of them before! They’ve now made their way onto my Christmas cookies baking list.

  3. These sugar cookies made my mouth water! They look and sound amazing! My husband LOVES lemon curd so these would be a perfect treat for him.

    Love that you have a recipe card and all the nutritional info as well, that’s a really nice touch!

    Laura ☆

  4. They are beautiful and look delicious! I love sugar cookies so much. I bet these would be a hit at home if I used some dulce de leche in some and lemon curd in others. Thanks for the recipe!

  5. I am hosting a cookie exchange tomorrow night and now I wish someone would bring these. THey look amazing!

  6. My girls and I start baking cookies on the second weekend of December. I am adding yours in our list to make. They look super delicious.

  7. Ok Linzer cookies and lemon curd for the win! These could be my all time favorite cookies and there is nothing like a good lemon curd! Yum

  8. The cookies look so pretty! I’ve never tried making them before, but they don’t look too hard. I should make some for my mother-in-law, she loves everything lemon.






  9. These Linzer cookies look so pretty and delicious! I will have to try to make these sugar cookies with the kiddos this holiday season.

  10. What I love about these sugar cookies is that they are both delicious and stylish. Sometimes PPS sacrifice one over another but this is not the case – looks awesome and I bet tastes delicious!






  11. FIrst, these Linzer cookies look so good! Second, I just figured out what I will be making for my holiday party! These will be a hit!

  12. I remember having a linzer cookie when I was a kid and really loving it. I had no idea that’s what these sugar cookies were called until now! And just last night I was thinking about how I’d like to do some Christmas baking this year (a first for me!), PLUS I have a jar of lemon curd in my cupboard. Fate sent me to your post!

  13. These Linzer cookies are so cute… and they look delicious too! Just perfect for leaving out for Santa on Christmas Eve!

  14. I have never made Linzer sugar cookies. My grandmother made the best sugar cookies every year and I have always wanted to make those as well. I just can’t seem to master keeping the dough the right temperature. I love the lemon curd addition. This will be my next project.

  15. Wow those linzer sugar cookies look so pretty! And that lemon curd looks absolutely delicious. They are perfect for Christmas festivities. Thanks for sharing this recipe!

  16. I love linzer cookies! I just made a batch of these a while ago, but my recipe is slightly different. I love the lemon curd idea. I may just have to make another batch and use lemon curd instead of jam and marmalade.

  17. WOW these look incredible!! I love how you decorate them; that lemon curd paired with the sugar cookies sounds divine!

    -Madi






  18. You have my undivided attention! I adore citrus sweets! I have never made a mixed lemon curd, a most fabulous idea. And it peaking out from the Linzer cookies is sublime!






  19. We are gluten free so the cookies won’t work- but I definitely want to try this lemon curd on our gluten free sugar cookies!

  20. I have to print this out, Denay. I’m giving this recipe to someone who loves baking cookies for her kids! :) I’m making this too for my boys :)
    Thank you for sharing.
    Cheers,
    Jessica






    1. Hi Jessica. Your sweet comment on these Linzer cookies just made my day! Many fun wishes to you and your family for a fabulous holiday season!

    1. Good morning Megala! It makes me smile to know that you love these little Linzer cookies. I hope you’ll bake up a batch this holiday season. Thanks so much for leaving a comment and rating this special recipe for Christmas cookies!