My Tante Greta’s Linzer cookies were a thing of legend. She’d have tins of them stacked in her pantry, each one a delicate, buttery window to a jewel-bright raspberry heart. I loved them, but I always wondered what they’d taste like with a little more fire in their soul. One bleak December afternoon, fueled by the last dregs of holiday cheer and a stubborn refusal to brave the shops, I decided to find out. I swirled molasses and a reckless amount of ginger into her dough. The result was… transformative. The snap of the spiced cookie, the rich, caramel depth of the dulce de leche—it’s a more sophisticated, grown-up love affair. It’s the cozy, spiced warmth of a Christmas market meeting the sun-drenched caramel of a Buenos Aires afternoon. These cookies don’t just whisper of the holidays; they sing with a bold, harmonious voice.
Quick Look
| Prep | Cook | Total | Feeds | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hr 30 mins (incl. chill) | 12 mins | 1 hr 45 mins | 24-30 cookies | Medium |
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The flavor is deep and complex. The spicy gingerbread and rich dulce de leche are a match made in heaven.
- They’re stunningly beautiful. The classic Linzer window lets that dark caramel peek through, dusted with a snowfall of sugar.
- The dough is surprisingly forgiving. It rerolls like a dream, so you can use every last scrap.
- They make your house smell incredible. Like ginger, molasses, and pure, unadulterated joy.
Grab These
For the Gingerbread Linzer Dough:
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ tsp allspice
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 226g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- ¼ cup (85g) unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap—it’s too bitter)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For Assembly:
- 1 cup (about 300g) dulce de leche (store-bought is fine, but seek out a good one!)
- ½ cup (60g) powdered sugar, for dusting
Let’s Make It
First, we make the dough that will become your new obsession. Now, you can do this the traditional way with a mixer, but I’m going to let you in on a secret: the food processor method is foolproof and keeps the butter cold, which is key. In the bowl of your food processor, pulse together the flour, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, baking soda, and salt. Just a few pulses to combine.
Scatter the cold, cubed butter over the top. Pulse until the mixture looks like coarse sand with a few pea-sized butter bits remaining. This little bit of visible butter is what gives the cookies their delightful tenderness.
In a small bowl or measuring jug, whisk together the molasses, egg, and vanilla until smooth. With the processor running, slowly pour the wet ingredients through the feed tube. Process just until the dough begins to clump together and form a ball around the blade. Do not overmix! It will be soft and a bit sticky, and that’s perfect.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead it once or twice just to bring it together. Divide it into two equal discs, wrap each tightly in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days. This chill is non-negotiable. It firms up the butter and allows the flour to hydrate, making the dough easy to roll and preventing it from spreading into sad, flat blobs in the oven.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll one disc of dough to about ¼-inch thickness. This is thicker than a standard sugar cookie, and it’s intentional—we want a substantial bite. Using a 2.5 to 3-inch fluted round cutter, cut out as many circles as you can. Place them on the prepared baking sheets. These will be your cookie bases.
Now, for the tops. Gather the scraps and reroll. Cut out more circles. Then, using a smaller cutter (a tiny star, heart, or circle—I love the classic circle), cut a window out of the center of each of these. Place these windowed tops on the baking sheets. You’ll have an equal number of solid bottoms and windowed tops.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are firm to the touch and the edges are just starting to darken. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. They will firm up as they cool.
Nutritional Facts (Per Cookie)
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~ 180 kcal |
| Protein | 2g |
| Carbohydrates | 25g |
| Fat | 8g |
| Fiber | 1g |
| Sugar | 14g |
| *Note: | Values are estimates |
Variations & Add-Ins
- Citrus Zest: Add the zest of one orange to the dough for a bright, sunny note that cuts through the spice.
- Chocolate Dip: Melt 4 oz of dark chocolate and dip half of the assembled cookies for an elegant, bitter contrast.
- Spicy Kick: Add a ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper to the dough—it sounds crazy, but it enhances the warmth of the ginger beautifully.
Serving Ideas
Once the cookies are completely cool, it’s assembly time. Place all the solid bottom cookies on your work surface. Give your dulce de leche a good stir to loosen it. Spoon about a teaspoon (or more, I don’t judge) onto the center of each bottom cookie. Gently place a windowed top cookie over the filling and press down lightly so the filling spreads to the edges of the window. Just before serving, place the powdered sugar in a fine-mesh sieve and dust it generously over the tops. The white sugar against the dark cookie and caramel filling is a sight to behold.
Storage & Reheating
Store the unfilled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. The filled cookies are best eaten within 2-3 days, as the dulce de leche will slowly soften the cookie. You can assemble them a day ahead, but hold off on the powdered sugar dusting until right before you serve them, or it will dissolve and look sad. The dough can be frozen for up to 3 months.
My Two Cents
Chill your rolled-out cookie sheets before baking. After you’ve cut out all your shapes and placed them on the parchment-lined baking sheets, pop the entire sheet into the freezer for a 10-minute blast. This re-solidifies the butter and guarantees your cookies will hold their sharp, beautiful edges in the oven. It’s the secret to a professional-looking bake.
You Asked, I’m Answering
“My dough is too sticky to roll!”
This means it’s not chilled enough. Pop it back in the fridge for another 30 minutes. You can also roll it between two sheets of parchment paper, which minimizes both sticking and the need for extra flour, which can toughen the cookies.
“Can I use jam instead of dulce de leche?”
You absolutely can. A tart raspberry or apricot jam would be a fantastic, classic contrast to the spicy gingerbread. The dulce de leche is just my decadent, personal preference.
“My cookies spread too much!”
This is almost always because the butter was too warm when the cookies went into the oven. Make sure your dough is thoroughly chilled, and don’t skip that pre-bake freezer time. Also, check your oven temperature with a thermometer—an oven that runs cool can cause spreading.