Sourdough Linzer Cookies
Sourdough linzer cookies made with discard are a buttery almond flavored sandwich cookie filled with your favorite jam and dusted with powdered sugar.
Linzer cookies are a fun Austrian speciality cookie that has been around for hundreds of years and based on the famous Linzer torte. These almond flavored shortbread cookies are buttery and the perfect and prettiest way to enjoy your favorite jam.
Adding sourdough discard to cookie recipes is one of my absolute favorite ways to use leftover starter. Ok, I will be honest – I don’t count discard as “leftover” when I specifically create it in order to make more cookies.
Adding discard to cookies creates such a wonderful treat – not only does it help improve the texture of the dough (thanks wild yeast!) but it also helps to deepen and hone the flavors of the cookie. It is such a simple way to take a cookie from “good” to “WOW!”.
I love them in my sourdough maple walnut cookies and sourdough molasses cookies!
A brief overview of the recipe:
Here is a brief rundown of making these cookies for your perusal. For the full recipe, including ingredient amounts and the full set of directions, please make sure you scroll down to the recipe card below.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar.
- Mix in the egg, sourdough discard, and extracts until combined well.
- Mix in the flour, almond flour and salt and mix until just combined.
- Chill the dough for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and prepare two baking sheets.
- On a lightly floured counter, roll out half the dough until it is about 1/4″ thick.
- Cut out circles 2″ wide. Use a smaller circle cutter to cut out the centers of half of the circles to create the tops.
- Bake the cookies for 8-12 minutes, until set on top and just barely turning golden around the edges
- Allow to cook on the pan for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- When cool, transfer the tops to a platter and sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar.
- Transfer the jam to a bowl and stir it really well so that it is easily spoonable.
- Spoon a small amount of jam onto the bottom part of each cookie and top with one of the cookies with a hole cut out of the center.
Recipe Note: In this recipe I used seedless blackberry jam and apricot jam. You can use any flavor of jam or preserves that you want. Other great options are lemon curd, nutella, apple butter, or any filling you desire!
If you don’t have a sourdough starter yet and want one, my post on how to make a sourdough starter is broken down into the exact steps day by day you need to know, and I also have a guide on using sourdough for beginners that you should check out as well.
Cookie storage information
These cookies will do best when stored in a covered container for up to 3 days. The icing will get softer the longer it sits. You can also freeze these cookies unfrosted for up to 6 months.
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Sourdough Linzer Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup powdered sugar divided
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ cup sourdough discard
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup almond flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup jam
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and the granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
- Add in the egg and mix well.
- Add in the sourdough discard and vanilla and almond extracts.
- Mix in the flour, almond flour and salt and combine until just blended through.
- Chill the dough for at least one hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
- Working with half the dough at a time, roll the dough out on a well floured surface until about 1/4″ thick. The dough is soft and sticky, so use well floured counter, ensuring the dough does not stick, and flour your rolling pin as well.
- Cut desired shapes, making sure you cut a smaller hole in the center of half of the cookies to act as a lid.
- Carefully transfer the cut shapes to the prepared pans and bake for 8-12 minutes, until just starting to turn golden on the edges.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Dust the cookie tops with the remaining powdered sugar.
- Spoon the jam into a bowl and stir it vigorously to thin it out and make it spreadable. Spoon small amounts into the center of each cookie bottom and place a top cookie on top.
