These gorgeous cocoa-rich Linzer cookies receive a sweet boost from both C&H® Golden Brown Sugar and C&H® Granulated Sugar. Sandwiched together with a tangy Cream Cheese Frosting, the cookies get a final snowy dusting of C&H® Confectioners Sugar for a wintry holiday finish.
Chocolate Linzer Cookies
Makes about 20 sandwich cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon (87 grams) firmly packed C&H® Golden Brown Sugar
- ⅓ cup (67 grams) C&H® Granulated Sugar1 large egg (50 grams), room temperature
- ½ teaspoon (3 grams) vanilla bean paste
- 1½ cups (188 grams) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (25 grams) sifted Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon (2 grams) instant espresso powder
- ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon (1.25 grams) baking powder
- Garnish: C&H® Confectioners Sugar
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar at medium-low speed just until combined; increase mixer speed to medium, and beat until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Beat in egg and vanilla bean paste until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, espresso powder, salt, and baking powder. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating just until combined. Turn out dough onto a sheet of parchment paper; top with another sheet of parchment paper, and roll dough to ⅛-inch thickness. Transfer dough and parchment to a baking sheet; refrigerate for 40 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 4 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove top sheet of parchment paper. Using a 2¼-inch fluted round cutter dipped in flour, cut dough. Using 1¼- to 1½-inch holiday cutters, cut centers from half of dough circles; use a wooden pick to help remove dough from centers, if necessary. Reroll scraps between sheets of parchment paper as needed, and cut dough. (For cleanest edges, rerolled dough can be refrigerated for 20 minutes or frozen for 10 minutes before cutting.) Gently place ¾ to 1 inch apart on prepared pans. Freeze for 10 minutes.
- Bake, one batch at a time, until edges are set, tops bounce back slightly when touched, and cookies are fragrant, 9 to 13 minutes. Let cool on pan for 1 minute. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on wire racks.
- Spoon Cream Cheese Frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a ¼-inch round piping tip (Ateco #802). Pipe about 1¾ teaspoons (7 grams) frosting onto flat side of whole cookies, and smooth with a small offset spatula. Place remaining cookies, flat side down, on top of frosting. Garnish with confectioners’ sugar before serving, if desired.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes about 1½ cups
Ingredients
- 4 ounces (113 grams) cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon (6 grams) vanilla bean paste
- ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt
- 2½ cups (300 grams) C&H® Confectioners Sugar, sifted
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed until smooth and well combined, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Beat in vanilla bean paste and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating just until combined. Increase mixer speed to medium; beat until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Use immediately.
