Description
These Salted Caramel Linzer Cookies combine buttery, tender cookie layers with a luscious homemade salted caramel filling, finished with a dusting of powdered sugar and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt for a perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors. Ideal for holiday baking or special occasions, these cookies offer a delightful twist on the classic Linzer cookie with a rich caramel center.
Ingredients
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 cup 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 garnish
Instructions
- Make the Cookie Dough: In the bowl of a stand-up mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and kosher salt until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, then mix until combined. Gradually add the flour in two batches, mixing well after each addition. Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a disc, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, ideally 3 hours, until firm but still pliable.
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove one dough disc from the fridge, letting it sit about 10 minutes if very cold, to make rolling easier.
- Roll and Cut the Cookies: Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll out to 1/8-inch thickness. Chill the rolled dough in the freezer on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to make cutting cleaner. Use a cookie cutter to cut shapes; for half of the cookies, cut out a smaller shape in the center to create the Linzer look.
- Bake the Cookies: Arrange cookies about 1 inch apart on baking sheets. Re-roll scraps as needed for more cookies. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly golden. Allow cookies to cool on the sheet before transferring to a cooling rack. Repeat with the second dough disc.
- Make the Salted Caramel: In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine sugar and water. Stir until sugar dissolves completely. Increase heat to high and cook for about 5 minutes until the mixture turns light golden brown, then reduce heat slightly and cook until a deeper golden brown develops. Remove from heat, whisk in butter until melted and foaming, then add heavy cream slowly while stirring. Return to low heat and stir until smooth and slightly thickened. Stir in vanilla extract and let cool slightly.
- Assemble the Cookies: Place the cookie tops with the cut-out centers on a cooling rack and dust generously with powdered sugar. Spread about one scant teaspoon of salted caramel onto the bottom cookies. Sprinkle a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt onto the caramel. Sandwich the tops over the bottoms. Store in an airtight container; cookies stay fresh for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Make-ahead option: Prepare dough a day ahead or bake cookies in advance and assemble the next day to save time.
- For best results, keep cookie dough cold when cutting to preserve shapes and prevent spreading.
- Use simple cookie cutter shapes like circles or stars for easy handling; small piping tips can also be used to create cut-out centers.
- If caramel thickens too much before assembling, warm it gently in the microwave for 10 seconds to make it pourable.
- Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24g
- Calories: 223 kcal
- Sugar: 19g
- Sodium: 29mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 32mg
