Chocolate Chai Linzer Cookies

Linzer cookies are one of my favorite Christmas cookies, and with the addition of chai spices and dark chocolate ganache, they become even more special! These buttery shortbread cookies bake up crisp, hold their shape perfectly, and look absolutely beautiful covered in powdered sugar. It's the perfect recipe for a holiday cookie exchange!

Author: Sloane’s Table

Meal Type: Peanuts Free

Cuisine: American

Difficulty: MEDIUM

Prep. Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings: 18 cookies

Calories: 249 kcal per serving

Ingredients

2 cups - all-purpose flour
1 cup - almond flour
1 tsp - cinnamon
½ tsp - cardamom
¼ tsp - allspice
¼ tsp - nutmeg
¼ tsp - cloves
¼ tsp - ginger
½ tsp - salt
1 cup - unsalted butter
¾ cup - granulated sugar
1 - egg
1 tsp - vanilla paste
powdered sugar
½ cup - heavy cream
4 ounces - bittersweet chocolate

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, spices, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla to the butter, sugar mixture, and mix until fully combined.
Add the dry ingredients in two batches, mixing on low speed until everything is mostly combined.
Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom of the bowl and finish combining the dough.
Wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least one hour or up to a few days.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to ¼" in thickness. Use a 2 ½" - 3" fluted round cutter and a small snowflake cutter. Cut out an even number of solid cookies and cookies with a snowflake cutout.
Place all cutout cookie dough in the freezer for 10 minutes. Place the scrap cookie dough back in the fridge for about 15 minutes before re-rolling.
Bake the frozen cutout cookies for about 10 minutes. Bake the small snowflakes for about 8 minutes.
Allow cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet.
Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.
In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a simmer or about 200 degrees F.
Add the chocolate to a medium bowl. Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate and place a plate on top. Allow to sit for 1-2 minutes.
Remove the plate and gently stir until the chocolate has fully melted and combined with the heavy cream. Do not over-mix!
Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for about 1 hour to thicken.
Pair the linzer cookies up, then generously sprinkle powdered sugar on the top cookies.
Add a small spoonful of ganache to the bottom cookies, and gently press the paired cookies on top.

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