Best Linzer Stars Recipes

LINZER STARS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together hazelnut flour, 2 cups cake flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Pulse pecans and remaining 1/2 cup cake flour in a food processor until finely ground (but not wet); add to bowl with flour mixture.
• Beat butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in egg. Reduce speed to low and beat in flour mixture until combined. Divide dough in half, shape each half into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll out each disk of dough to a 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Refrigerate on a baking sheet for 20 minutes.
• Cut out star shapes using a 3-inch cutter. Cut a star from the center of half the cookies using a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter. Transfer cookies to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing each 2 inches apart.
• Bake until pale gold, 13 to 14 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheets set on wire racks for 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks, and let cool completely.
• Dust cookies with confectioners' sugar. Spread 1/2 teaspoon preserves onto the center of each uncut star; top with cutout stars, offsetting, if desired, to create a "burst."

CHOCOLATE LINZER TORTE STARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Whisk first six ingredients. Stir in butter, egg and vanilla until blended., On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. star-shaped cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until set, 5-7 minutes. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely., Spread preserves on bottoms of half of the cookies; cover with remaining cookies. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Let stand until set.

LINZER STARS

Steps:

• Pulse flour, almonds, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor until almonds are finely ground (no larger than poppy seeds).
• Using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat sugar and butter in a large bowl until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg; beat until well blended, about 1 minute. Beat in rum and vanilla. Reduce speed to low; add dry ingredients. Beat dough just to blend; gently knead if necessary to form a ball.
• Divide dough in half. Place each half between sheets of parchment or waxed paper. Working with 1 piece at a time, flatten dough into a disk; roll dough, occasionally lifting paper on both sides for easier rolling, until 1/8" thick. Chill dough in paper until very firm, at least 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Dough can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; keep chilled.
• Arrange a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• Working with 1 dough disk at a time, remove top sheet of paper and, using 2" star cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Transfer to baking sheets, placing 1/2" apart; chill. Repeat with remaining dough. Gather scraps; repeat rolling, chilling, and cutting until dough is used.
• Using 1/2" star cookie cutter, cut out a star from the center of half the cookies. Working in batches, bake cookies until light golden brown, dry, and just firm to the touch, 11-13 minutes. (Cookies will firm up as they cool.) Transfer to a wire rack; let cool. DO AHEAD: Cookies can be baked 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
• Bring jam and 1 teaspoon water to a boil in a small saucepan; let cool slightly.
• Arrange whole cookies flat side up. Spoon 1 teaspoon cooled jam in the center of each, dabbing slightly to spread. Arrange cookies with cutouts flat side down on a wire rack; dust with powdered sugar. Set atop whole cookies, lining up star points and allowing jam to push up slightly through center. DO AHEAD: Linzer Stars can be assembled 8 hours ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

LINZER "HOLLYWOOD STARS"

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Empty them into a folded kitchen towel, enclosing them between the folds, and rub them to remove their skins. Transfer the nuts to a food processor fitted with the stainless-steel blade and discard the skins. Add the flours. Process until the nuts are finely ground.
• 2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar together at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and lemon zest and continue mixing for 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the nut-flour mixture. Mix just until the mixture comes together into a smooth dough. Scrape the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and gently press it into a flat disc about 2 inches thick. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 hours, or preferably overnight.
• 3. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide it into quarters. Place one piece between two sheets of lightly dusted parchment paper and roll out to an even 1/8-inch thickness. Repeat with the other pieces of dough. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes or longer.
• 4. Preheat the oven to 350° F. with the rack in the lower third. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the freezer, one sheet at a time. Carefully peel the top piece of parchment off the dough and, using a 2-inch star-shaped cookie cutter, cut out stars of dough. With a 1/2-inch diameter circular cookie cutter, cut out holes from the centers of half of the stars (the holes will make nice mini-cookies).
• 5. Carefully transfer the cookies to the baking sheets, placing them about 1/2 inch apart. If the dough is too soft to transfer easily, return it to the freezer for 15 to 30 minutes. If you need to bake the cookies in batches make sure you let the baking sheets cool before baking each batch. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven until golden brown, 10 to 14 minutes. Slide the parchment onto cooling racks and wait 10 minutes, then carefully transfer the cookies to the racks to cool completely.
• 6. Return the cookies to your work surface. Place a scant teaspoon of jam on each cookie without the holes and spread in an even layer. Generously dust the cookies with the holes with powdered sugar either from a sugar sifter or from a fine-meshed sieve held over the cookies and tapped with your hand, and neatly place them on top of the jam so that the jam pokes out the center.