Why did the windows on my healthy linzer cookies spread and close up in the oven?

The trays went into the oven warm. Cut cookies need 15 minutes of chilling on the tray so the edges set before the butter softens. Also check your thickness: dough rolled thinner than 1/4 inch slumps faster, and a window cut larger than about 3/4 inch will sag at the rim.

Can I make these linzer cookies fully gluten free?

Replace the white whole wheat flour with a 1 to 1 gluten free baking blend, cup for cup, and keep the almond flour as written. Chill the cut trays a full 20 minutes, because gluten free doughs spread slightly more, and handle the baked shells gently for the first hour.

My almond flour dough keeps tearing when I roll it. What am I doing wrong?

It is almost certainly too warm or rolled without parchment. Roll between two sheets of parchment, work with one chilled disc at a time, and if the edges crack, let the disc sit at room temperature for exactly 5 minutes, no more. Patch small cracks with a fingertip; the jam hides a multitude of repairs.

How far ahead can I assemble the cookies for a gift box?

Fill them no more than 48 hours before gifting. The shells alone keep two weeks in a tin and three months frozen, but once the jam goes in, the bottom cookie starts softening. For a box that travels by mail, ship the shells and a small jar of jam separately with a note, and let the recipient assemble.

Can I use regular raspberry jam instead of reduced sugar jam?

Yes. Regular jam adds about 8 calories and 2 grams of sugar per cookie, bringing the total near 140 calories, and it sets a little glossier in the window. Warm it for 10 seconds and stir it smooth before spreading so it lies flat instead of mounding.

Healthy Linzer Cookies with Raspberry Jam at About 130 Calories Each

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup almond flour, 112 grams
1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour, 150 grams, plus more for the rolling surface
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/3 cup reduced sugar raspberry jam
1 teaspoon powdered sugar, for dusting

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Instructions

Whisk the almond flour, white whole wheat flour, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl until evenly combined and free of clumps.
Beat the butter and coconut sugar in a large bowl for about 2 minutes, until paler and fluffy.
Beat in the egg yolk, vanilla and lemon zest until fully combined, scraping the bowl once.
Add the flour mixture and mix on low just until a soft dough forms. Stop the moment it comes together.
Divide the dough in half, press each half into a flat disc, wrap well and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Roll one disc between two sheets of parchment to a 1/4 inch thickness. Cut 2 1/2 inch rounds and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cut a small round or star window from the center of half the cookies.
Gather the scraps once, reroll and cut the remaining cookies. Chill the filled trays for 15 minutes while the oven heats to 350°F.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are just turning golden and the centers still look pale.
Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move the cookies to a rack to cool completely.
Sift the powdered sugar over the window cookies only. Spread 1 teaspoon of raspberry jam on each solid cookie, then set a dusted window cookie on top and press very gently.

Author: Nora Ellis
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1
Calories: 130
Sugar: 6
Sodium: 40
Fat: 8
Saturated Fat: 3
Unsaturated Fat: 5
Trans Fat: 0
Carbohydrates: 13
Fiber: 2
Protein: 3
Cholesterol: 23