Description
These Red Velvet Linzer Cookies are a delightful twist on the classic Linzer cookie, featuring a vibrant red velvet dough and a luscious cream cheese filling with a hint of lemon zest. Light, tender, and beautifully sandwich-shaped with cutout centers, they are perfect for festive occasions or an elegant treat any time of the year.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup superfine almond flour
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup vegan butter (or butter of choice)
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp Red Velvet Emulsion
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Cream Cheese Filling
- 1/2 cup organic shortening (or butter of choice)
- 1/2 cup softened cream cheese
- 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 tsp fine lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Others
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- Heart cookie cutter
- Small fondant heart cutter or shape of choice
- Parchment paper & baking sheets
- Piping bag
- Rolling pin
Instructions
- Prepare the cookie dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the vegan butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, until the mixture turns pale yellow. Scrape down the edges of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure even mixing. Beat in the eggs, red velvet emulsion, and vanilla extract until smooth and fully incorporated. Gradually add the flour mixture, which includes all-purpose flour, superfine almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt, to the wet ingredients and mix on medium speed until the dough comes together. If the dough feels too sticky, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it attaches properly to the paddle attachment.
- Roll out the dough: Lightly flour a rolling pin and a solid surface or use a sheet of parchment paper. Roll out the dough evenly to about 1/4 inch thickness. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter or your desired shape to cut out about 24 cookie shapes. For half of the cookies, use a smaller cutter to cut out shapes in the center to create the characteristic Linzer cookie design.
- Bake the cookies: Place the cookie cutouts on prepared baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake the cookies in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for approximately 5 minutes for soft cookies. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack before assembling.
- Prepare the cream cheese filling: In a mixing bowl, combine the organic shortening, softened cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, fine lemon zest, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Mix well until smooth and creamy. Transfer the frosting into a piping bag and set aside for assembly.
- Assemble the cookies: Pipe the cream cheese filling onto the whole cookie bases. Place the cutout cookies gently on top of the frosted cookies to form sandwiches. Lightly dust the assembled cookies with powdered sugar to finish.
- Serve: Let the sandwich cookies come to room temperature for 10-15 minutes to soften slightly before serving to enjoy the perfect texture and flavor combination.
Notes
- Ensure the dough is not too sticky before rolling out by adding flour gradually.
- Use parchment paper to prevent sticking and for easy transfer of cookies to baking sheets.
- Allow cookies to cool completely before assembling to prevent melting of the filling.
- Red Velvet Emulsion can be substituted with vanilla extract and red food coloring if unavailable.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for longer freshness.
- For vegan version, ensure to use vegan butter and substitute eggs with appropriate egg replacer.
