When I was a kid, I hated jam cookies. I wouldn’t even give them a chance. Then I discovered Knott’s Berry Farm Raspberry Shortbread cookies back in the day!!! They were sampling them at the actual park and when I got a whiff of them, I was intrigued. I ate one and that was it. Now when I make these babies, I can barely wait for them to get out of the oven before digging in.
I usually make them with strawberry jam but when I saw Trader Joe’s had sugar plum jam, well, color me intrigued. Don’t fret if you don’t have a TJ’s near you. You can usually find plain ol’ plum jam or jelly at a larger grocery store or World Market. Bonne Maman makes a good one. These traditional cookies are so elegant with sweet and nutty notes that you’d be hard pressed to find someone who wouldn’t be thrilled to get these for a gift!
If you like this recipe, consider subscribing to the YouTube channel and click the bell to be notified when new videos go live or subscribe to the blog. Either way, I’d love to have you cook or bake with me! The video shows you how to bring it all together and what the recipe should look like in different stages.
Sugar Plum Linzer Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- Sugar plum jam (Trader Joe's) or Plum jam (Bonne Maman) for filling
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, almond flour, and salt and set aside.
- Cream the butter, sugar, and cinnamon until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl if you're using a stand mixer, about 3 minutes.
- Add the yolk and vanilla and beat until combined.
- Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix just until a dough forms making sure not to overmix.
- Divide the dough into 4, and shape each half into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Chill a large cookie sheet in the freezer for rolling.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll one disc of dough out about 1/4"-thick. (I used the frozen cookie sheet.)
- Using a 2 1/2" round cookie cutter or a linzer cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Do solid rounds with a matching round with the middle design cut out as shown in video.
- Transfer rounds to a parchment-lined baking sheet. (I use ice sheets as shown in video to keep them chilled as I place them.)
- Using the scrap dough, roll, and repeat the process. Place the cut cookies into the fridge for 15-30 minutes so they hold their shape when baking.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Allow them cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- Flip the solid cookie rounds over so the bottom is facing up and spoon 1 teaspoon of jam into the center, spreading it slightly.
- Top jam cookies with the ones with the holes in the middle cookies. Dust with powdered sugar.
Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links through Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is greatly appreciated!
10 Comments
I make Linzer cookies almost every year but always with raspberry jelly so I’m very intrigued by a sugar plum center. I’m definitely going to search for this jam here in Canada so I can switch it up this year!
Linzers are the best and when I saw that in Trader Joe’s, I had to try it. But Bonne Maman makes a plum jam that is very similar.
These looks so festive, I’ve never had plum jam, but I’d definitely try it. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe with us at the Creative Muster Link Party. Looking forward to seeing what you share next week! Pinned
Merry Christmas 🎄
Robin | Fluster Buster
It’s so good and is a fun twist to strawberry or raspberry jam! 😀
Your cookies look delicious! Thanks for sharing with us at the Snickerdoodle Link Party! They will be one of my features this Saturday!
Aww, thank you so much! Hope you’re having a great week!
The sugar plum center sounds delicious, and a great alternative to more traditional flavors.
Thank you for sharing the recipe at The Really Crafty Link Party. Pinned.
Gotta throw in a little twist every now and then!
They sound fabulous and delicious #DreamTeam
They are a fun twist on a Christmas classic!