Christmas is next week and I haven’t be able to take these cookies out of my mind. Linzer cookies are so pretty and they are pretty flexible with what ingredients you use for the cookie dough and the filling.

Today, I’m showing you how to make the cookie part with toasted walnuts, flour, butter, ground cinnamon and ginger. The filling is a homemade mulled wine jelly which is the perfect flavor for this time of the year. Even if you are not a wine drinker, you will love this jelly plus your house will smell lovely with all the mulling spice.

If you would like to see how I made these cookies, visit me on Instagram @pastry_tales

Yield about 18 cookies (It all depends on the size of your cookie cutters)

Ingredients:

For the filling: Mulled Wine Jelly

1 and 1/2 cups red wine. I used Cabernet Sauvignon

1 orange (juice and peel)

1/4 cup mulling spice

2 tablespoons of Brandy or something similar

1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided

1/4 cup cold water

Sure-Jell Premium Fruit Pectin for Less or No Sugar Needed (you will use just 1/2 of the packet)

For the walnut cookies:

2 cups of all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup of walnuts, toasted

2 tablespoons of powdered sugar, plus more for finishing

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and at room temperature

1/4 white granulated sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

For the filling: Mulled Wine Jelly

1. Pour the wine and brandy (or any other liqueur)  into a saucepan. Add in orange juice and peel. Also, add the mulling spice.
2. Bring the mixture to a slow simmer over medium heat and cook for one minute.
3. Turn off the heat (but leave the saucepan on the burner), cover and let the mixture do its magic for 1-hour approx. Your home will smell amazing!!!
4. Strain the mulled wine into a bowl and discard the spices and peel.
5. In another saucepan, mix together the Sure Jell, water and ¼ cup of sugar until smooth. Pour in the mulled wine and bring to a boil over high heat, whisking constantly.
6. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and continue whisking until the mixture returns to a rolling boil. Cook for two minutes at a rapid boil, whisking constantly, then remove from heat. Grab a spoon and take off any foam from the top and carefully pour into jars, leaving a bit of space on top.
7. Let cool to room temperature and then cover and refrigerate until set. I left it in the fridge overnight.

When you have your jelly, make the cookie dough.

Also, this recipe will give a good amount of jelly for the filling of the cookies plus some to keep for your cheese boards, toasts, etc.

Important Note:  You have to toast the walnuts before you start with the recipe.

How do I toast walnuts? 

Preheat oven to 350°F.

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Put the walnuts on a baking sheet with parchment paper and toast them just until they become aromatic, about 5-7 minutes.
3. You have to watch them carefully because they can get dark super-fast.
4. Let them cool completely and then START with the recipe.

Directions

1.- In a small bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt ginger and cinnamon. Set aside.

2.- In the bowl of a food processor, combine walnuts and powdered sugar. Pulse until the walnuts are finely ground. Set aside,

3.- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter for about 2 minutes. Then, add sugar and beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Blend in the egg and the vanilla. Your mixture will curdle a little but that’s totally fine. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and ground walnuts to the bowl and mix in just until combined and a dough forms. Form into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 2 hours. I usually make my dough the night before I bake my cookies.

3.-Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8-inch thick.

4.- How to cut the cookies:

If using a Linzer cookie cutter set:

To make the bottom cookie, simply take the cookie cutter apart by squeezing the edge and releasing. This will give you a cookie cutter to make the base/bottom cookie. Then, put the cookie cutter back together to make the top cookie. When pressing down on the dough with the cutter, simply press the ejector. Remember you will need the same number of bottoms and tops.

If using regular cookie cutters:

In the picture you can see I used a big snowflake cookie cutter and a smaller one for the window/opening of the center. I bought mine at Walmart. This is the one I used. Click HERE. Remember you will need the same number of bottoms and tops.

5.-Transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Reroll dough scraps as needed.

6.-Place the cookies in the fridge for 15 minutes to chill. This will help to keep the shape of the cookies.

7.-Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the bake time, until beginning to brown and just set, about 11 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before filling.

8.- To fill the cookies: Place the cookies with the holes in them on a cookie sheet and sift the confectioners’ sugar over the top. Turn the remaining cookies flat side up and spoon 1/2 teaspoon of jam into the center. Stick both parts together and enjoy!

Note: If your jelly is a bit too thick to spread, just pour some into a small bowl, heat it up in the microwave for about 10 seconds and stir.