Linzer Kipferl are delicious, buttery cookies that are a beloved treat in Austria, especially during the holiday season. These crescent-shaped cookies are made with tender shortbread dough, filled with apricot jam, and dipped in chocolate. Crumbly yet tender, they melt in your mouth and are full of amazing flavor. Perfect for sharing with loved ones or savoring with a warm cup of tea!
About this recipe
Almost everyone knows Linzer Cookies (Linzer Kekse), but do you know Linzer Kipferl? They are not the same! While both are equally delicious and popular in Austria, there are some key differences.
Linzer Kipferl (crescent-shaped cookies), also sometimes called Linzer Stangen (when shaped like logs) are piped onto the baking sheet, so basically it’s a Spritz cookie. In contrast, Linzer Cookies are made by rolling out the dough and cutting it with cookie cutters. Linzer Kipferl are typically filled with apricot jam, while Linzer Cookies are most commonly filled with raspberry jam, just like their predecessor, the Linzer Tart. Additionally, Linzer Cookie dough often contains ground nuts, and the cookies are not dipped in chocolate, unlike Linzer Kipferl.
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this easy recipe:
You can use any jam you like, but apricot jam is the most traditional, and its flavor works best in this recipe.
Chocolate – use chocolate chips or baking chocolate, as they don’t develop grey flecks like regular chocolate does.
How to make it step-by-step
Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.
Make a Spritz cookie dough: Add all the ingredients for the dough to a mixing bowl and combine them by hand or using a wooden spoon until a dough forms.
Note about the temperature of the butter: Room temperature butter is butter that has been softened by being left out at room temperature, typically between 20–23°C (68–73°F). It should be soft enough to press gently with a finger and leave an indent but not so soft that it’s oily or melting.
How to measure flour: I’m using the “spoon and level method” so 1 cup of flour in my recipes weighs 125g. Fluff the flour by stirring it in the bag/flour container with a spoon. Spoon the flour and sprinkle it into your measuring cup. Sweep off the excess flour with the back of a knife. I recommend using a digital scale for perfect and consistent results.
Prepare a piping bag (preferably a heavy-duty piping bag made from a thicker material so it won’t burst from the thick dough) and a small star piping tip (mine is a little less than 1/2 inch or 11 mm in diameter, an open star piping tip similar to Wilton #21 or Ateco #826).
Fill the piping bag with the dough and push the dough towards the piping tip using a bench scraper.
Pipe crescent-shaped cookies (or any other shape you want) onto the baking sheet.
Piping Spritz dough shouldn’t be too easy—that’s how it should be. If you weigh the ingredients with a scale, the dough should come out perfect, but if you’re using measuring cups, you might need to adjust the consistency. If the dough is so firm that piping is very hard or impossible, take it out of the bag and add a small amount of milk, then try again. On the other hand, if the dough is very soft and almost too easy to pipe, you may need to add a bit more flour. The cookies will still turn out fine, but the pattern on the cookies may be less distinct.
Place the baking sheet with the piped cookies in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 12–13 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are slightly golden. If using a dark baking sheet, they will bake faster, so check on them after the 10-minute mark. If the edges are golden, they are done. The baking time may also vary depending on your oven.
Let the cookies cool briefly on the baking sheet. When they are cool and stable enough to handle, transfer them to a cooling rack and let them cool completely.
When the cookies are cooled, spread jam on half of the cookies and cover them with the remaining halves.
Melt the chocolate and dip the tips of the cookies in it. Place them on the cooled baking sheet or cooling rack until the chocolate sets.
Enjoy!
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Linzer Kipferl
Ingredients
for the dough:
- 2 cups (250g) flour spooned and leveled, not scooped
- 3/4 cup (175g) butter at room temperature, not cold and not too soft*
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (75g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- zest grated from 1 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
additionally:
- 1/4 cup (70g) apricot jam
- 1/2 cup (85g) semi-sweet chocolate chips or baking chocolate
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Instructions
- Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.
- Prepare a piping bag (preferably a heavy-duty piping bag made from a thicker material so it won't burst from the thick dough) and a small open star piping tip (mine is a little less than 1/2 inch or 11 mm in diameter, an open star piping tip similar to Wilton #21 or Ateco #826). You can see step-by-step photos in the body of the post for reference.
- Add all the ingredients for the dough to a mixing bowl and combine them by hand or using a wooden spoon until a dough forms.
- Fill the piping bag with the dough and push the dough towards the piping tip using a bench scraper.
- Pipe crescent-shaped cookies (or any other shape you want) onto the baking sheet.
- Piping Spritz dough shouldn’t be too easy—that’s how it should be. If you weigh the ingredients with a scale, the dough should come out perfect, but if you’re using measuring cups, you might need to adjust the consistency. If the dough is so firm that piping is very hard or impossible, take it out of the bag and add a small amount of milk, then try again. On the other hand, if the dough is very soft and almost too easy to pipe, you may need to add a bit more flour. The cookies will still turn out fine, but the pattern on the cookies may be less distinct.
- Place the baking sheet with the piped cookies in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 12–13 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are slightly golden. If using a dark baking sheet, they will bake faster, so check on them after the 10-minute mark. If the edges are golden, they are done. The baking time may also vary depending on your oven.
- Let the cookies cool briefly on the baking sheet. When they are cool and stable enough to handle, transfer them to a cooling rack and let them cool completely.
- When the cookies are cooled, spread jam on half of the cookies and cover them with the remaining halves.
- Melt the chocolate and dip the tips of the cookies in it. Place them on the cooled baking sheet or cooling rack until the chocolate sets.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Room temperature butter is butter that has been softened by being left out at room temperature, typically between 20–23°C (68–73°F). It should be soft enough to press gently with a finger and leave an indent but not so soft that it’s oily or melting.
- Storage: These cookies store well in a cookie tin for at least 2 weeks.
- How to measure flour: I’m using the “spoon and level method” so 1 cup of flour in my recipes weighs 125g. Fluff the flour by stirring it in the bag/flour container with a spoon. Spoon the flour and sprinkle it into your measuring cup. Sweep off the excess flour with the back of a knife. I recommend using a digital scale for perfect and consistent results.
- Calories = 1 sandwich cookie (about 1/27 of the recipe). This is only an estimate!
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