madnad

In a break from tradition, I am revealing one of the items in my Festive Treat Box. If you fancy getting your chops around some, there is still just enough time to enter my giveaway on Facebook to win one Festive Treat Box for you and your family to enjoy. The giveaway will run midnight Sunday 17th December 2018, so don’t leave it too late.

Austrian Linzer Kekse, or Linzer Cookies to you and me, are a traditional Austrian biscuit over the festive period. A biscuity version of the Linzer Torte that was invented in Linz, Austria, it features a crisp tender biscuit with raspberry jam and a generous festive dusting of icing sugar. 

There is debate in our house that this is the inspiration for the classic British biscuit, the Jammy Dodger. But, if you want a little drama on your festive table this season, these will get you more ooohs and ahhhs than the faithful Jammy Dodger. 

The recipe can also be used to make thumbprint cookies. Just roll the dough in small balls, put a dent in with your thumb, fill with a small amount of jam, then bake. Once cooled, dust with icing sugar before serving. 


AUSTRIAN LINZER KEKSE

Tender crisps biscuits sandwiched with raspberry preserve and dusted with icing sugar for a festive treat

COURSE: Dessert
CUISINE: Austrian
AUTHOR: www.mutherfudger.co.uk
INGREDIENTS
  • 225 g Butter
  • 200 g Caster Sugar
  • 1 Medium Free Range Egg
  • ½ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon Almond Extract
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • 125 g Ground Almonds
  • 300 g Plain Flour
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on a medium speed until fully combined
  2. Scrape down the sides then add in the egg, nutmeg and extracts, and again mix until fully combined
  3. Add in the salt, ground almonds and plain flour and mix just until no dry flour is visible
  4. You should have a soft slightly sticky dough. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for at least 30 minutes
  5. Cut the dough into two or three sections and work with one piece at a time. Place the dough in between two pieces of greaseproof paper and roll out to about 5mm
  6. Use a round fluted cutter about 8cm wide and cut out circles then place on a baking tray. Pop the tray in the freezer as your oven heats up to 180ºC / 350ºF / Gas Mark 4
  7. Once the oven is heated, bake for about 10 mins, or just until the edges start to colour
  8. For your second tray, cut out the circles as above, Using a smaller cutter, cut a hole in the centre. Again freeze the dough for 5 mins before baking. These may need slightly less time, so watch them closely
  9. Leave the cookies on the tray for a few mins to solidfy, then transfer to a wire rack to cool
  10. 10. Once all your biscuits are baked and cooled, place the biscuits with holes on a large tray, right side up, and dust with icing sugar
  11. 11. The biscuits without holes, spread a thin smear of raspberry jam, just enough to act as 'glue'. Gently sandwich the cookies, trying not to disturb the dusted sugar
  12. 12. Add a little more jam to the hole, and spread evenly in the cavity using a cocktail stick or wooden skewer
  13. 13. Store in an airtight container for a week. They are still edible for much longer, but may start to dry out unless individually wrapped
RECIPE NOTES

You can freeze filled or unfilled Linzer biscuits, but don't dust with icing sugar until defrosted

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