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german chocolate linzer cookies

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Ingredients

Scale

226g unsalted butter (salted is fine), room temperature (1 cup | 16 Tbsp)

100g granulated sugar (1/2 cup)

55g light brown sugar (1/4 cup)

1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp regular table salt)

1 egg yolk

2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract

270g all purpose flour (2 1/4 cups)

1/4 tsp baking powder

46g Dutch cocoa powder (1/2 cup)

80g sweetened coconut (1/2 cup) – unsweetened is fine

100g toasted pecans, chopped (1/2 cup before chopping)

filling

one batch caramel sauce- I like this recipe, but you can use your favorite.

40g sweetened coconut, shredded (1/4 cup)

50g toasted pecans, chopped (1/4 cup)

85g – 170g dark chocolate (1/2 cup – 1 cup), amount depending on how much drizzling you like

Instructions

make the cookies

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a mixing bowl with a hand held mixer, beat the butter on low speed until smooth. Add the sugars and salt and beat on medium-low until combined and slightly lightened, about 1-2 min. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat until the mixture is fully combined and emulsified, scraping the bowl well. (Don’t over mix at this stage, or the dough will be too aerated and cause some spreading during baking.)

Add the flour, cocoa, and baking powder. Mix on low speed until combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as you go. Add the coconut and pecans and finish mixing until combined.

Roll the dough to ¼″ between two lightly floured sheets of parchment paper, flouring the dough as needed. Refrigerate the dough for two hours or overnight. (If you’re in a rush, a quick 20 minute freeze will do the trick.)

When it’s time to bake, preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C).

Dip cutters in flour and cut shapes in the dough, placing them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cut a window with a smaller cutter in half of the cookies. Freeze the cut shapes for 5-10 minutes before baking to help prevent spread, if desired.

Bake for 6-8 minutes for smaller shapes and 8-10 minutes for larger shapes or until the center is no longer shiny. 

Cool on the sheet pan for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

make the filling

While the cookies are baking and cooling, make the filling.

Stir together one batch of caramel sauce, the sweetened coconut, and the toasted pecans. 

To assemble the cookies, place a small amount of filling on a bottom cookie and sandwich with the top window cookie.

Melt the dark chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and use a spoon to drizzle over the tops of the assembled linzer cookies. Sprinkle with more toasted pecans and coconut, if desired.

Notes

  • This recipe is written using weight measurements rather than volume because it is a significantly more accurate (and easier!) way to measure. Trust me! Get a scale, and you’ll be happy.
  • If you can, do not substitute the Diamond Crystal kosher salt with regular table salt. If you only have table salt, reduce the amount by half. I do recommend grabbing a big box of Diamond Crystal, because it will last forever.
  • If you find the dough spreads too much for you, add up to 30g (1/4 cup) additional flour to help reduce the spread. It shouldn’t be an issue in this recipe, though.
  • Do not substitute the Dutch cocoa for regular cocoa. They have different flavor profiles, and you won’t get the same richness from natural cocoa as you will with the Dutch. I love Droste, but it’s very expensive and getting harder to find. A fewnmore affordable and accessible options are Rodelle, Modern Mountain, and Ghirardelli.
  • For the coconut, I chose to use sweetened because it helps add to the effect of German chocolate. Sweetened also seems to be more readily available than unsweetened. You should be able to substitute for unsweetened, however, if you prefer. I’ve made the dough with both. If desired, increase the coconut by an additional 40g, or 1/4 cup.
  • I toasted whole pecans in a 350 F oven for about 5-8 minutes. I take them out once they smell toasted and are crispier. Check them often to ensure they are not burning.
  • I like to roll my dough to 1/4″ because it is the perfect balance between thick and thin. If you’re a cookier and like to decorate royal icing cookies on a really thickly rolled cookie, like 5/16″ or 3/8″, they will likely need longer time to bake. You will also have a smaller yield.
  • This specific recipe is for the linzer cookies version of this, but you can absolutely make these cookies, skip the filling, and decorate with royal icing.

Find it online: https://linenandgray.com/german-chocolate-linzer-cookies/