Black Forest Linzer Cookies
Chocolate Linzer cookies with Kirsch White Chocolate Ganache and Sour Cherry Jam Filling.
Ingredients
- For the cookies:
- 390 g all purpose flour
- 66 g cocoa powder
- ½ kosher teaspoon salt,, I use Diamond
- 226 unsalted butter,, cool room temperature
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 100 g brown sugar
- 2 large eggs,, cool room temperature
- For the White Chocolate Ganache:
- 420 g chopped white chocolate,, bar, feves, white chocolate wafers ( not chocolate chips or candy melts)
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 30 g corn syrup
- 125 g heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tablespoons kirsch cherry liqueur, (Kirschwasser)
- Filling:
- Sour cherry preserves
- Topping:
- 150 g White chocolate for drizzle
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- Dark chocolate for shavings
Instructions
- Times are an approximation since the dough and ganache need making and cooling time. I make the dough and ganache a day before baking and assembly. Please use a food scale to weigh out the ingredients. Do not measure by volume.
- I used a 2 inch round cutter. You can use any size or shape you like - the final yield will depend on the size cutter you use.
- For the cookie dough:
- The cookies are chilled for a few hours up to overnight so the recipe is made first way before heating an oven is necessary.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour. Cocoa powder and salt.
- In a larger mixing bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars until lighter and fluffy, a few minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then add in the eggs one at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides after each egg is added.
- Add in the flour mixture and mix until fully combined, no flour streaks remain.
- Divide the dough in half and shape into two discs, wrap tightly in plastic wrap then chill for a minimum of 4 hours up to overnight.
- Ganache:
- While the dough is chilling, make the ganache
- In a medium stainless steel or glass bowl, add the white chocolate.
- In a sauce pan combine the butter, corn syrup and heavy cream. Heat until steaming and a few bubbles appear around the edges, stirring a few times to mix everything completely.
- Pour the hot cream mixture over the white chocolate and let sit for a few minutes to melt the chocolate. Start stirring or whisking slowly to fully melt the chocolate and make a completely smooth mixture. Once smooth, add in the kirsch and whisk again. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the top, pressing against the ganache and let cool completely. You want it thick enough to whip to a buttercream like consistency. You can make this a day ahead of time and keep chilled, bring to room temp before whipping. See notes on how to soften if too hard to whip.
- Bake the cookies:
- When ready to bake the cookies - preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Set out baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Let the dough soften slightly and roll out between sheets of wax paper to ⅛-1/4 inch (4-6mm) thick. You don’t want them too thin.
- Cut out your shapes, half with the centers cutout. Slide the cut outs still on the wax paper on to a baking sheet and pop in the freezer for a few minutes to firm up. This makes it easier to pop out the shapes and make sure they don’t spread during baking.
- Bake the cookie cut outs for 9 minutes. They will puff slightly, do not over bake. Let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough, kneading the remaining dough back together, chill slightly, re-roll between wax paper, cut out more cookies.
- Decorate and assemble the cookies:
- Once the cookies are cool, place the tops with the cut outs on a baking sheet. Melt the white chocolate with the teaspoon of coconut oil until runny, then drizzle over the tops of the cookies.
- Shave a chocolate bar with a vegetable peeler then sprinkle the shavings over the cookies. Pop in the freezer to set up the chocolate.
- Take the bottoms of the cookies and place on another baking sheet. Pipe a ring of ganache around the edges. If the ganache has hardened too much to whip, set the bowl over a pan of steaming water until it starts to soften. Whip until creamy.
- Fill the centers of the ganache circles with a spoonful of the preserves. Add the tops and press down slightly to attach to the bottoms. Set in freezer to set up.
- Keep in airtight containers at room temperature up to a week, up to three months in there freezer.
Notes
Keep cookie shapes when cutting out:
Roll out your dough between sheets of wax paper, cut your shapes then freeze for a few minutes to firm up. Then pop out the cut outs and place on your prepared baking sheet. This will help them keep their cut out shape and ensure there is no spreading while baking.
Ganche tips:
If the ganache has firmed up too much, set a small saucepan on the stove with water, making sure the bottom of the bowl holding the ganache wont touch the water. Heat the water until steaming then place the bowl of the ganache on the pan. Turn the heat off. Once the ganache starts to melt slightly, remove from the pan and whip until creamy. You don't want it to melt completely, just enough to soften to be able to whip.