These Dark Chocolate Tahini Linzer Cookies are not your typical sandwich cookies. Not even close.
So what are linzer cookies, anyway?
As you’ll see, I’m using the “linzer” term very loosely here. It’s all about the style of the linzer cookie … you know the ones with the little window offering a sneak peak at the goodness inside. The authentic treat is a cookie version of the delicious Austrian dessert, Linzer Torte. The tart was first enjoyed in the city of Linz and traditionally consists of a crust made from flour and ground almonds. The filling of currant preserves would be topped with a lovely lattice crust.
Linzer cookies usually mimic the torte with their almond flour dough and fruit jam filling. But not this time. We’re going full-on with chocolate on these beauties.
Let’s start out with the dry ingredients.
- Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium-size bowl.
- Give them a good whisking so that it’s all well incorporated.
Set that aside and get working on the butter and sugar.
- Use the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Or simply use a large free-standing bowl along with your hand held mixer.
- Set on a medium-high setting, beat the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy for about 4 minutes.
- Add the egg along with the vanilla.
- When mixed in, reduce the speed to the low setting and add the flour mixture.
- Continue beating just until the dough comes together.
At this point, the dough will be very thick and sticky. Place it in the fridge for a short time to make it more rollable. Separating the dough into two pieces makes the rolling and cutting process more manageable.
- Divide the dough in half, shape each mound into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic.
- Use your judgment in dividing the dough or check the weight of each disk on your digital scale.
- You should end up with a total of about 773 grams of dough. But really …you can just eyeball it.
- The wrapped disks need about 30 minutes in the fridge.
- Working one disk at a time, roll out the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper until it is around ⅛” thick.
- Instead of guessing, I always use my adjustable rolling pin with the removable rings when a recipe calls for a specific thickness. Always spot on.
- Also, your rolled-out dough may have lots of jagged edges …it’s a common thing.
- Just take a sharp knife and trim off those edges.
- Place those pieces where needed, cover again with the parchment paper and give the dough another quick rollover.
Slide the rolled-out dough onto baking sheets, still sandwiched between parchment, and chill until very firm, about 1 hour. If you’re short on time, the chilling time can be cut short but the full time in the fridge really does help to ensure the cookies retain their shape.
What kind of cookie cutters do you need for Linzer Cookies?
You don’t need specific Linzer cookie cutters to make these cookies although when you use them, the finished product is picture perfect. What I’ve used here are round and square nesting cutters along with some old heart cutouts and a really ancient diamond shape. For the diamond-shaped cookies, I didn’t have a smaller matching cutout so I simply used a sharp paring knife to create the shape I needed. Anything goes as long as you produce an opening that corresponds with the larger cutout.
When you set up the baking trays for the oven, give the cookie bottoms their own baking sheet. The tops – the cookies with the center cut out – tend to bake a little faster by about one minute.
For the sparkling or dusting sugar, that is applied to just the cookie tops before baking.
As you’re cutting out the cookies, try to place the cutter as close to possible to the previous cut so that you end up with a maximum number of cookies. Keep track of the number of each variety as you proceed, so that you end up with an even number. Half of them will become the cookie-top with the cut-out window.
The small shapes that are cut out can be baked as miniature cookies – the little guys love them – or they can be combined with the scraps to be re-rolled for more linzer cookies.
Give the cookies a chance to completely cool down.
To make the delicious chocolate-tahini filling, you can choose your level of chocolate-ness. The flavor of the cookie is that of intensely dark chocolate with a hint of saltiness. If you want to keep that flavor profile going, use all dark chocolate chips. I like to have some color and flavor contrast, so I will typically use white chocolate for some and milk chocolate for others.
- Spread the filling in a generous layer on the flat side of the bottom cookie so that it doesn’t quite reach the edge.
- When the top cookie is in place, the filling will spread a bit creating a seal.
- The goal is to prevent the filling from spilling out along the edge.
Look at these gorgeous Dark Chocolate Tahini Linzer Cookies!
They are truly as delicious as they look. The cookies are like rich cocoa shortbreads …buttery and crumbly. And the glossy slightly-sweet chocolate filling adds the perfect contrast.
Can you freeze these Dark Chocolate Tahini Linzer Cookies?
These cookies do require a bit more effort than basic sugar cookies so you may want to prepare them in advance. For best results, bake the cookie tops and bottoms as instructed and allow them to cool completely. Then freeze them in an airtight container for up to a month.
When ready to enjoy them, bring the cookies to room temperature, add the chocolate filling and assemble. That really is the best way to preserve the texture of the cookies.
dark chocolate tahini linzer cookies
Adapted from Bon Appétit
Melt tahini with chocolate in whatever shade you please for a glossy bittersweet filling that will sandwich together rich cocoa shortbreads.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (227 grams)
- 3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (95 grams)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- white sanding or decorative sparkling sugar (for sprinkling)
- 1/2 cup white, milk or dark chocolate chips (104 grams)
- 2 tablespoons tahini
Instructions
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Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl to combine. Set aside.
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Beat the granulated sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat to incorporate, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients. Beat just until dough comes together. Alternatively, dough can be mixed in a large bowl using a hand held mixer.
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Divide the cookie dough in half and pat each into a disk; wrap tightly in plastic. Chill just long enough so that the dough is rollable and no longer sticky, about 30 minutes.
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Working with one disk at a time, roll out the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper until ⅛" thick. Slide onto baking sheets, still sandwiched between parchment, and chill until very firm, about 1 hour.
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Place rack in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F.
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Carefully peel away top sheets of parchment from dough and punch out cookies with larger cutters. Punch out centers of half of cookies with smaller cutters. Carefully transfer whole cookies with a spatula to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing 1" apart. Sprinkle remaining cut-out cookies with sanding sugar, then transfer to another parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake cookies until edges are set, 7–10 minutes. The cut-out cookies will require slightly less time in the oven, 6-9 minutes.
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Let cool on baking sheets. Repeat process with scraps (if necessary, chill dough again before punching out shapes).
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Melt chocolate and tahini in a bowl in a microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring after each, until chocolate is melted (or melt in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water; do not let bowl touch water). Stir to combine. Spread filling over whole cookies not quite to the edge; top with matching cut-out cookies.
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Do Ahead: Cookies can be assembled 5 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
For Gluten-Free Cookies:
- Replace the all-purpose flour with gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- Be sure that the chocolate chips and tahini are certified gluten-free.
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