Cookie Exchange Chocolate Linzer Cookie Recipe - The Effortless Chic (2024)

This Chocolate Linzer Cookie Recipe is for your Christmas cookie exchange party! Perfectly festive and yummy, these sandwich cookies are a real crowd pleaser.

Perhaps the thing I most looked forward to about motherhood before I had children was the making of Christmas cookies around Christmastime. I could imagine tiny hands pouring (mostly) all the dry ingredients, combining them with the wet and sticky tyke-size palms that rolled small balls of dough between them. This memory came flooding back one morning last week as Parker was helping me mix up this dough for our Chocolate Linzer Cookie recipe before preschool drop-off... with the promise of warm cookies waiting when she returned, of course.

I'm joined today by some of my favorite fellow bloggers-- Ashley,Julie, Cyd, Leah, Chelsea, Brittni, Michael, Lexy and Courtney. We each made a Christmas cookie recipe that you don't want to miss. Think of it as a digital progressive dessert-themed dinner! Here's why I decided on this Chocolate Linzer Cookie Recipe...

How To Make This Chocolate Linzer Cookie Recipe

For the Dough

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder and set aside.

Using a stand or hand mixer, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in eggs and vanilla extract, mixing well after each addition.

Combine the cocoa powder with sugars and mix well. Slowly add in the flour mixture, and mix until smooth on low speed.

Shape the dough into two flat discs, wrap in plastic and chill for at least two hours or overnight.

When ready to bake preheat oven to 325º F.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper or non-stick baking sheets and set aside.

One disk at a time, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. To roll out, sprinkle cocoa powder onto a counter to prevent sticking and roll out dough to ⅛″-¼″ inch thick. If the cookie cutter you’re using has smaller pieces or angles thicker dough will help. Using a large cookie cutter of your choice, start cutting out the cookies. Using a smaller center cutter, make center cut-outs into half of the cookies.

Transfer cookies onto the prepared cookie sheets and place at least 1-inch apart. Bake for 9 minutes or until the edges are firm and centers are puffed.

Cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack. Continue cutting out shapes with the rest of the dough.

Decorating

Separate the top cookies from the bottom cookies.

When ready to fill, spread about a ½ tablespoon jam or caramel on the inside of the bottom cookie, leaving ⅛ inch around the edges. Place a top cookie on top and carefully press together. Continue with the rest of the top and bottom cookies and the jam/caramel.

Once done “sandwiching” your cookies, top with sifted powdered sugar

What are linzer cookies?

Linzer cookies are essentially a sugar cookie with a jam filling and of course these have some added cocoa powder because everything is better with chocolate! They are a classic Christmas cookie, and I made mine even more festive by making them into Christmas tree shapes.

This linzer cookie recipe is so easy!

For starters, I've actually never made Linzer cookies at all, but few sweet treats can compare to how beautiful they look! Also, they're not at all complicated and it takes no time at all to make the cookie dough. It takes a little time to fill them, but that's the fun part!

What do you put in linzer cookies?

A fruit jam like strawberry or raspberry is a traditional filling for these cookies, but I wanted to mix it up a little. I chose a mix of fillings for these-- orange marmalade, raspberry jam, and caramel sauce with a sprinkle of sea salt. That way everyone should be able to find one that's just to their taste!

Christmas cookie exchange idea

If you're working out what to take to your local cookie exchange this year, then I employ you to make these! They are so festive and fun to make and they are super delicious! This batch was promptly eaten with most of the cookies going across the street to our neighbors' house.

Can you make this linzer cookie recipe ahead of time?

You can easily make these cookies the day before you are due to serve them, just store them in an airtight container and separate the layers with parchment.

You can also make the cookies ahead of time and freeze them in the same way. Just don't fill the cookies first! Let them thaw in the fridge the night before and then fill them.

Top Tips To Make This Chocolate Linzer Cookie Recipe

• Let the cookie dough for at least 2 hours and let it come to room temperature before rolling it out.
• Leave a good amount of room between each cookie on the baking sheet to allow for spread.
• Bake in a pre heated oven for the best results.
• The cookies bake quickly so keep an eye on them.
• Let the cookies cook before adding the filling.

Photography for Chocolate Linzer Cookie Recipe by Katie Jameson

For more cookie ideas, be sure to check out these friends:Ashley,Julie, Cyd, Leah, Chelsea, Brittni, Michael, Lexy and Courtney.

Check out these other cookie recipes!

• Almond Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
• Gluten-Free Ginger Cookies with Salted Caramel Filling
• Gluten-Free Ginger Molasses Cookies with Salted Caramel Filling
• Black + White Cookies

If you have made this chocolate linzer cookie recipe I'd love to hear from you! Be sure to drop me a comment and a star rating down below!