- 1 cup blanched almond slivers*
- ¾ cup granulated sugar, divided
- 2 cups all purpose flour (260 grams)
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large egg yolks
- powdered sugar, to dust over cookies
- ½ cup raspberry jam or lemon curd, plus more if needed
- You can use 4 ounces of almond meal in place of the slivered almonds. Toasting the almond meal will bring out the flavor but processing it in the food processor is unnecessary.If you use the almond meal, simply cream all of the sugar with the butter.
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Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Spread almonds out on a baking sheet, and toast for about 5 minutes, until golden brown.
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Remove and pour nuts into the bowl of a food processor and let cool for at least 10 minutes.
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Add ¼ cup of the sugar and pulse until the nuts become finely ground.
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Whisk flour, salt, and lemon zest together.
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Cream butter and ½ cup sugar together just until it becomes pale yellow.
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Stir in vanilla then egg yolks and mix until combined.
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Mix in the ground almonds.
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Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
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Remove dough from bowl, divide in half, then flatten into two discs.
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Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.
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Dust a silicone mat or cutting board with flour.
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Roll 1 disc of cookie dough out to ⅛ inch thickness.
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Cut 12 daisies using a 4 inch daisy shaped cookie cutter.
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Remove excess dough and freeze daisies for 5 minutes until firm.
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Move cookies to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 12-16 minutes until lightly golden brown.
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Roll the remaining dough and cut 9 or 10 daisies.
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Use a 1 ¼ inch teardrop cookie cutter to cut out holes in each petal, leaving a small border around the edge of the cookie.
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Remove excess dough.
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Re-roll dough until you get 3 more daisies with holes in the petals.
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Freeze the 12 cut-out daisies for 10 minutes then move to parchment paper lined baking sheet.
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Bake for about 12-14 minutes until lightly golden brown.
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Allow the cookies to cool completely, then dust with powdered sugar.
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Spread raspberry jam or lemon curd on the whole daisy cookies.
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Place one cut-out cookie on top of the jam and gently sandwich the cookies together.
Recipe Video
Understanding the Texture Classic Linzer cookies have a crisp, slightly "sandy" shortbread texture. Once they are sandwiched with filling, they will naturally begin to soften.
Timing Your Assembly For Crisp Cookies: Assemble and fill your daisies about one hour before serving. For Soft Cookies: Feel free to assemble them a day ahead. Many people (including me!) actually prefer them once they’ve softened up a bit.
Choosing Your Filling: Raspberry jam and lemon curd are the classic choices for these daisies, but don't be afraid to experiment! Any high-quality jam, preserve, jelly, or even a chocolate hazelnut spread will work beautifully.
The Pro-Dressing Tip: Always dust the top "cut-out" cookies with powdered sugar before sandwiching them onto the base. This ensures the colorful jam or curd center stays bright and clear without being covered in white sugar specks.
Storage and Freezing Refrigerator: Assembled cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to one week. Freezer: For the best results, freeze the plain, unfilled cookies in an airtight container for up to one month. Simply thaw at room temperature and fill them just before your event.