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Chocolate Mint Linzer Cookies have a slightly sweet, chocolate shortbread like cookie filled with mint jelly. Yes. Mint jelly. It’s a unique and delicious cookie for the holidays. 

 

The idea for these cookies started with a bunch of mint from a guy at work. Apparently, he didn’t know you shouldn’t plant it in the ground. For those that don’t know mint is probably harder than dandelions to kill once it takes over EVERYTHING in your garden. So, if you want mint in your garden plant it in a container. His has mingled with his strawberries and he’s afraid to try my suggestion. Mom paints the leaves of plants she doesn’t want her garden with weed killer. That way, only that plant is affected.

 

What are linzer cookies?

 

Traditionally, they’re a buttery shortbread cookie sandwich. In between the two shortbread layers is jam. The traditional jams are black or red current preserves, but in the US we use anything from raspberry jam to apricot jam to even hazelnut spread.

 

 

They’re fashioned after the traditional linzer torte. That’s a buttery shortbread tart made with wheat and almond flour filled with red current filling. They used almond flour because it was readily available where wheat flour was not. I did not put almond flour in my linzer cookies. Most of the recipes I read did not have it in there and, well, I needed it for the macaron I’m making later this week.

 

I’m not quite sure how the torte turns into cookies, but probably due to the popularity of the torte. These Austrian bakers would mix up a batch of the shortbread crust and make cut out shapes called Linzer eyes. Then they’d pair it with a circle of the same width and fill it with the same red or black current jam.

 

 

I would imagine that those who do not want to purchase a whole torte but still want that torte flavor would love a batch of these cookies. The cookies have all the same flavors without all the mess of the whole torte. They could eat them on the go and easily pack them for their travels.

 

We can thank Franz Holzlhuber for bringing these delicacies to the US. He emigrated in the 1800’s and ended up in Wisconsin. He was running out of money and decided to make the torte and cookies to sell. But he wasn’t the only one to make these desserts famous. A hundred years later, the Von Trapps brought them to Vermont making a resurgence of popularity for these delicious desserts.

 

 

What cookies cutters can you use to make linzer cookies?

 

You need a circle or a square and a shape that fits into it. That’s the basics. It can be a fluted or a straight. The “eye” part can be hearts, stars, flower shapes, or even as simple as another circle or square in the middle the larger one. Three circles in the center could look like holly berries. Heck, if you have a mini tree or gingerbread people cutters you can use those, too. The sky is the limit with different cookie cutters to use for these cookies.

 

A traditional linzer cookie set has a circle, heart, star, diamond, triangle, and flower shape. And the base cookie is usually a fluted circle or rectangle (that includes the square because technically it’s a rectangle). Sometimes the “eye” cutter is in one piece that makes the circle and the cut out. But most times it’s a smaller cutter that you use to make the eye.

 

 

How do you make linzer cookies?

 

Chocolate Mint Linzer Cookies, even though they’re like shortbread cookies, they’re made more like a sugar cookie. It’s the egg in there, I think. But I’m not a professional baker to be able to answer that question. So, I creamed the butter and sugar together. Then the room temperature egg and vanilla extract go in with the coffee granules. I purchased a box of singles that are perfect for cookie baking.

 

“Why a room temperature egg,” you ask? Well, it sort of makes sense to me after I watched Joanna Gaines make cookies and add one to her dough. If you add a cold egg to room temperature butter and sugar that’s creamed together it doesn’t blend in as well with the butter mixture. This makes for a more uniform dough. Also, the yolks and eggs both break up better when they’re at room temperature. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed that, but I have since I started using this method. The whites are thinner and incorporate easier.

 

 

I mixed the dry ingredients in a smaller bowl. I don’t sift them together. I’m lazy. I simply stir them with a whisk in sort of a folding motion. This helps aerate the flour and cocoa powder and break up any potential lumps in the mixture.

 

I always add my dry ingredients in thirds. It just seems to incorporate better than halves and doesn’t take as long as fourths. Thirds is a good number for me. Make sure to scrap the bowl down, and the top of the paddle, before adding more. And when you’re finished adding the flour scrap it all down once more making sure to scrap the bottom of the mixer bowl, too. On more than one occasion I have forgotten this last step and had poorly mixed dough on the bottom.

 

 

You let the dough chill before rolling it out. I rolled my Chocolate Mint Linzer Cookies to about 1/4 of an inch thick. Then I cut out my shapes. I have quite a few cookie cutters. Actually, I have two tins of them. They mostly came from Nana. For whatever reason, one of the few memories I have of her is helping with cookies. So, I wanted all the cookie cutters. I sent some to my sister recently so share with my nieces and nephew. I had plenty and shared the dupes.

 

What do chocolate mint linzer cookies taste like?

 

Here’s the thing about mint jelly. Most people only associate it with eating lamb. Because most only serve it with lamb. But as a young experimental kid chef, I grabbed the jar of mint jelly Dad had and the peanut butter. Yes. I did. I made a peanut butter and mint jelly sandwich. And it was good. Better than I had even anticipated. So, I don’t shy away from mint jelly and use it in sweets and savories alike.

 

 

I have one store in the area the sells mint jelly. At least that I could find. Sometimes that’s the best use of Instacart. I can check the shelves of many stores to see who has what I need. I just wish I didn’t have to select the grocery before searching. It would be great if they could show me the best price for the item I’m looking for. Anyway. That’s another story.

 

So, we went to the store to find mint jelly. The hubs pulls it off the shelf and says, “Are we having lamb?” Kid you not. “Nope. I’m making cookies.” “Well, I won’t be having any.” He doesn’t like mint stuff. I, on the other hand, love chocolate and mint together. Though not in ice cream. For some reason the cold mint ice cream doesn’t sit well with me. It, like, intensifies the mint making it almost too cold.

 

 

I love these Chocolate Mint Linzer Cookies. The sandwich part is not overly sweet which allows the jelly to make up the difference. They have a rich chocolate flavor which is perfect with the mint jelly. No, it doesn’t taste like thin mints. It’s a different kind of chocolate and mint flavor. I can’t quite explain it. If you haven’t tasted mint jelly I’m not sure I can really explain it. It’s not like any kind of mint product you can relate it to. It’s just different mint.

 

But it’s a deliciously different mint flavor. And these Chocolate Mint Linzer Cookies are tender, buttery, and chocolatey. They’re slightly crispy and slightly tender. Then there’s the cool, sweet mint filling. And chocolate mint is always a good combination for the holidays.

Welcome to #ChristmasCookies Week! That time of year when we soften the butter, fire up the oven, and make cookie trays for family, friends, and neighbors. This year more than 20 top-notch bloggers are sharing their very favorite creations for all to make and enjoy. Join us for a week’s worth of Christmas cookie deliciousness

• Chocolate Mint Linzer Cookies by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Easy Christmas Cookie Bars by Family Around the Table
• Lemon Iced Gingerbread Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love, and Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Cranberry White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies by The Best Cookie Recipes