Play Me a Recipe

Cranberry-Ginger Linzer Sandwich Cookies

November 24, 2020
5
1 Ratings
Photo by Julia Gartland. Prop Stylist: Megan Hedgpeth. Food Stylist: Lauren LaPenna.
  • Prep time 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Cook time 20 minutes
  • makes about 24 cookies; 1 1/2 cups filling
Author Notes

Linzer cookies remind me of the perfect pop tart, but with a little more flavor. This recipe is the culmination of my love of making cookies—because I had a cookie company for about 10 years—and my holiday tradition of making cranberry sauce with little tweaks of flavor every now and then. In this case, I give it a punch of ginger and orange.

This recipe was featured on our new cook-along podcast Play Me a Recipe. Listen as Carla whisks, bakes, jams, and dusts here way through this cookie recipe, offering insider tips and backstory along the way.Carla Hall

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Ingredients
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 3/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup Cranberry ginger filling (see recipe below)
  • Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
  • Cranberry ginger filling
  • 12 ounces cranberries
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice (from 1 medium orange)
  • Pinch of salt
Directions
  1. Heat oven to 350°F.
  2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and ground ginger. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar until just combined. Add the vanilla. Gradually add in flour mixture on low just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a piece of plastic wrap and flatten into a disk. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
  4. Roll the dough 1/4-inch thick and cut into 2-inch rounds with a plain or fluted cutter. With half the rounds, cut a hole from the middle of each round in a desired shape. Place the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet and chill for 15 minutes.
  5. Bake the cookies for 20-25 minutes, until the edges just begin to brown or the cookies are crisp. Remove from oven; let cookies cool for a minute on the pan, then remove to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
  6. Place a teaspoonful of filling on the flat side of each whole cookie, spreading it out to the edges with the back of the spoon. Dust the top of the cut-out cookies with powdered sugar. Place the powdered sugared tops on the filled bottoms. Can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
  1. Cranberry ginger filling
  2. Combine all ingredients, plus 1/4 cup water, in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Lower heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until cranberries burst. Continue cooking, mashing fruit a bit with the back of a spoon, until thick as jam, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat to cool completely. Can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

3 Reviews

Sarah S. December 23, 2020
I am confused how these cookies are shelf stable but the filling is not. Could you please explain? I want to make them, but not if the filling has to be refrigerated, but the cookies with the filling can be left out at room temperature.
1AtlGirl December 12, 2020
I am making these for a [socially distant, outdoor] cookie exchange after they were voted the unanimous winner by my friends and family in the “test drive” last week. Considering they were up against a winning sugar cookie and a browned-butter, toffee and pecan cookie, I have to admit I was surprised! While the cookie itself is unremarkable, the filling is addictive - tart, sweet, and gingery. Not to mention, they present beautifully! I am NOT a baker, so the fact I found the recipe approachable also makes this a winner. The only modification I made was to the cranberry jam. I initially found it to be too thin. That may have been my fault for being overly generous with the filling (did I mention how tasty it is?!). Regardless, I did add some plain gelatin to the jam which I think will facilitate a slightly larger dollop......we’ll see. Anyway, I love Carla Hall, and would definitely recommend this cookie!
Carla H. December 14, 2020
love you right back! xoxo