These are the best sandwich cookies you’ll make this summer. A tiny bit of citric acid in the cookie dough creates a zesty sour cherry flavor, which balances out the buttery shortbread cookies. Find more cherry-centric recipes in our July/August issue.
Sour Cherry Shortbread Linzer Cookies
Makes 12
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (60 grams) confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) vanilla extract
- 1½ cups (188 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) citric acid
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons (24 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (80 grams) cherry preserves
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla at medium speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, citric acid, and salt. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating until combined. Divide dough in half, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll half of dough to ⅛-inch thickness. Using a 2½-inch fluted round cutter, cut dough into 12 cookies, rerolling scraps only once. Repeat with remaining dough. Using a 1-inch fluted round cutter, cut centers from half of cookies. Place 1 inch apart on prepared pans. Sprinkle cookies with granulated sugar.
- Bake until just set, 8 to 10 minutes. (Be careful not to overbake, or cookies will look speckled.) Let cool completely on pans. Spread about 1 teaspoon cherry preserves on flat side of all solid cookies. Place cookies with cutouts, flat side down, on top of preserves. Bake 2 minutes more. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
