Cranberry Orange Linzer Cookies
Buttery, nutty, and kissed with citrus, these cranberry orange linzer cookies are as beautiful as they are delicious. Each orange-almond cookie is filled with smooth cranberry curd that adds a hint of tartness to the sweetness. A dusting of powdered sugar adds the prettiest snowy finish, perfect for any holiday cookie tray.
If the holidays had an MTV music video, these cranberry orange linzer cookies would be the headliners.
Zesty orange-almond cookies filled with homemade cranberry curd bring all the color and flavor of a neon dance floor.
They’re sweet, tangy, and ready to steal the spotlight like Cyndi Lauper belting “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” The powdered sugar finish? That’s the sparkle at the end of your slow-motion montage.
So whether you are baking these up for your Christmas cookie tray or just craving something buttery, tart, and sweet, these cranberry linzer cookies are totally tubular, totally festive, and totally delicious!
If cranberry orange desserts make your tastebuds moonwalk, check out my cranberry orange shortbread cookies, cranberry orange cupcakes, and cranberry orange cake.
How to Make Cranberry Orange Linzer Cookies
Step 1: Make the cranberry curd. Chill the curd overnight to thicken.
Step 2: Make the cookie dough. Cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg, orange zest, and vanilla extract. Add in the flour, almond flour, and salt and mix until the cookie dough forms. Form the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Step 3: Prep and preheat. Preheat the oven and prepare baking sheet pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
Step 4: Roll and cut the cookie dough. Use a rolling pin to roll out the cookie dough to ⅙ inch thick. Cut the cookie dough using a linzer cookie cutter (half of the cookies with a hole in the center).
Step 5: Bake the cookies. Place the cookies on the prepared baking pans. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Step 6: Assemble the cookies. Add a teaspoonful of cranberry curd to the bottom cookies and spread with an offset spatula. Dust the top linzer cookies with powdered sugar and place on top of the cranberry curd to create a sandwich cookie.
Courtney’s Expert Cookie Baking Tips
- Make the cranberry curd a day ahead of time. This will save you time on the day you plan on baking the cookies.
- Use a rolling pin with thickness rings to help you roll out the cookie dough evenly.
- After cutting out the cookies, form the dough scraps into a ball and re-roll the cookie dough. I recommend doing this only once because the cookies can become tough.
- For easy rolling and clean up, roll out the dough on a flour-dusted parchment sheet. You can easily move the dough around or re-chill it, if needed.
- If the dough becomes too warm and difficult to work with, roll out the cookie dough and then chill the rolled out dough in the refrigerator on a parchment-lined baking sheet pan for 10 minutes to firm it up.
- To see the cranberry curd in the center of the cookie, dust the tops of the linzer cookies with the hole in the top before creating the sandwich cookie. Use a fine mesh strainer to dust the sugar over the cookies for an even coating.
- To prevent fingerprints in the powdered sugar, use gloves and handle the cookies gently by the sides.
Frequently Asked Questions
For this recipe, I used a linzer cookie cutter set. The cookies were about 2-inches in diameter.
If you don’t have a linzer cookie cutter set, I recommend using a round cookie cutter set. Cut the cookie dough with a 2-inch round cookie cutter and then use a smaller cookie cutter to remove the center from half of the cookies. You could also use the opening of a piping tip to cut out the centers.
Yes — chilling helps the cookies hold their shape and gives them that tender, buttery texture linzer cookies are known for.
Definitely — raspberry jam, orange marmalade, or lemon curd all work beautifully with the almond cookie base.
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment with a star rating below! Follow Cake Me Home Tonight on Instagram and Pinterest for the sweetest recipes!
click the stars to rate!
Cranberry Orange Linzer Cookies
Ingredients
Cranberry Curd
- 6 oz (170 g) cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- ⅓ cup (70 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) orange juice
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) orange zest
- 2 (2) egg yolks
- 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter (cubed and cold)
Orange Almond Cookies
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (112 g) almond flour
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- ⅔ cup (130 g) granulated sugar
- 1 (1) large egg (room temperature)
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) vanilla extract
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) orange zest
Additional Ingredients
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
Instructions
Cranberry Curd
- Make the cranberry curd the day before you plan on baking the cookies. In a small saucepan, combine the cranberries, granulated sugar, water, orange juice, and orange zest. Cook the cranberry mixture over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally for about 10 to 15 minutes until the cranberries break down and the mixture thickens. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Puree the cranberry mixture using an immersion blender or food processor until it is smooth.
- To a medium bowl, add the egg yolks and whisk the yolks until broken up. Very slowly drizzle the hot cranberry mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, to temper the yolks. Transfer the cranberry mixture back to the small saucepan and place over low heat. Cook the mixture for an additional 3 minutes, whisking constantly, until thickened.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add in the cold, cubed unsalted butter, one cube at a time, whisking in between each addition. Once all the butter is added, transfer the curd to a heat-safe container. Cover the cranberry curd with a lid or plastic wrap and cool to room temperature. Once cooled, chill the curd in the refrigerator overnight.
Orange Almond Cookies
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the unsalted butter and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy. Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and orange zest and mix until smooth. Add in the flour mixture and mix on low speed until the cookie dough forms. Shape the cookie dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line baking sheet pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and roll it out onto a lightly floured surface, about ⅙ inch thick. Cut out the cookies using a linzer cookie cutter set. For each cookie, you will need one solid cookie and one cookie with the center cut out. Place the cookies on the prepared baking pan. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are set but the cookies remain pale on the edges. Cool the cookies on the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Assembling the Cookies
- Add a teaspoonful of cranberry curd to each of the bottom cookies and spread with an offset spatula. Dust the top linzer cookies with powdered sugar using a mesh strainer. Gently hold the dusted top cookies on the edges and place on top of the cranberry curd to create a sandwich cookie.
Notes
- Room temperature: Before assembling the sandwich cookies, store the orange almond cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Refrigerator: Store the filled linzer cookies in an airtight container or resealable storage bag between layers of parchment paper in the refrigerator for up to 4 day. Serve the cookies at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
- Freezer: Store the orange almond cookies in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. To use, thaw the cookies, dust with powdered sugar, and fill with the cranberry curd. I do not recommend freezing the assembled cookies.
Nutrition
Made This Recipe?
Please leave a comment with a star rating to let me know how you enjoyed the recipe!
About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
Never Miss A Sweet Recipe!
Subscribe get the latest recipes, baking tips and more sent straight to your inbox!
Did you make this recipe or want to see more? Make sure to leave your review below and tag me on Instagram @CakeMeHomeTonight so I can see your creations!