Description
Delight in these Salted Caramel Linzer Cookies, combining buttery, tender cookies filled with rich, homemade salted caramel and finished with a dusting of powdered sugar and flakey sea salt. Perfect for holiday treats or any special occasion, these cookies offer a perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors with a classic Linzer cutout design.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Salted Caramel:
- 1 1/3 cups white sugar
- 2/3 cup water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Flakey sea salt, for topping
Instructions
- Make the Cookie Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter, sugar, and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract; beat until combined. Gradually add the flour in two batches, mixing fully after each addition. Divide dough in half, shape into discs, wrap in plastic, and chill in fridge for at least 1 hour, ideally 3 hours.
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove one dough disc from fridge, let sit 10 minutes if too firm. Place dough between parchment paper and roll to 1/8-inch thickness. Freeze between parchment-lined baking sheets for 5 minutes to firm up for clean cutting.
- Cut and Bake the Cookies: Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes; ensure half have center cutouts for the Linzer effect. Place cookies 1 inch apart on baking sheet. Re-roll scraps to cut more cookies. Bake for 8-10 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Cool on baking sheet, then transfer to cooling rack. Repeat with second dough disc.
- Make the Salted Caramel: In medium saucepan over medium-low heat, dissolve sugar in water. Increase heat to high; cook 5 minutes until sugar turns light golden brown. Reduce heat slightly and cook to a deeper golden brown. Remove from heat, whisk in butter until melted and foamy. Slowly add heavy cream, whisking continuously over low heat until smooth. Stir in vanilla extract. Cool slightly to thicken, reheating gently if caramel becomes too thick.
- Decorate the Cookies: Dust top halves (with cutouts) generously with powdered sugar. Spread a scant teaspoon of caramel on the bottom halves and sprinkle lightly with flakey sea salt. Sandwich cookie tops and bottoms together gently. Store assembled cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Make dough a day ahead to save time or bake cookies ahead and assemble the next day.
- Choose simple cookie shapes like circles or stars to avoid breakage during cutting and assembling.
- A small round cutter or piping tip works well for cutting the centers on the tops.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24g (1 cookie)
- Calories: 223 kcal
- Sugar: 19g
- Sodium: 29mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 32mg
