These cute little Reindeer Linzer Cookies are the perfect cookie for any holiday treat platter. With their happy faces poking through the cookie, they will not only be fun to eat but also fun to make. Our cookies are a change-up from the usual ones that are filled with jam as ours have a cookie butter center, even better!!
Want other cute holiday cookie ideas? Then try our super cute Polar Bear Cookies, Easy No-Bake Grinch Cookies, and Snowman Cake Pops.
What is a Linzer Cookie?
Linzer cookies are traditional buttery sugar cookies that are usually raspberry jam-filled sandwich cookies. They are based on the Viennese Linzer torte, which is a nutty jam-filled pastry or pie with a lattice top.
These cookies originated in Austria but have been modified to the American taste.
Our Reindeer Linzer Cookies are super cute, creative, and really easy to make. These cookies are a real step up from regular sugar cookies. The Biscoff spread sandwiched between perfectly baked soft sugar cookies tastes heavenly. With a traditional Linzer cookie, there is usually finely chopped almond or almond flour, but we omitted that, and using the cookie spread instead of peanut butter, we have kept these cookies nut free too. We got the inspiration from Ai Made It For You.
Helpful Items For This Recipe
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small portion from qualifying purchases at no extra charge to you.
**Original Caramelised Biscuit Spread Smooth – Biscoff Spread
What are in Reindeer Linzer Cookies?
Simple ingredients for the cookies that you can find in any grocery store. You can also, for the inside, use peanut butter, but if you would like to remain nut free, then I suggest you hunt down the Biscoff spread. This is easily found on Amazon, and I have provided you with a link above in our **Helpful Items section.
Ingredients
All-purpose flour
Salt
Unsalted Butter
Superfine Sugar
Eggs
Vanilla extract
Powdered sugar – to sprinkle on top
How to make Reindeer Linzer Cookies
Preheat your oven to 350 F / 180 C and line your baking sheet with parchment paper and keep aside.
In a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients – flour and salt together; mix, and keep aside.
In a stand mixer (you can also use the hand mixer for this), add in the butter and sugar and beat it at medium speed, scraping down the sides for at least 2-3 min or until the mixture is creamy.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until everything is incorporated well.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in batches and mix till the dough is formed.
Flatten the dough to form a disc, wrap it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Once chilled, on a floured surface roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut out shapes using a round cookie cutter to cut (3 inches). Keep half of the cookies as it is, and for the other half, cut out a smaller circle at the bottom part of the cookie using a 1-inch cookie cutter. *I have affiliate links above for these cookie cutters if you need them.
Place the cutouts carefully on the prepared baking sheet and bake for at least 12-13 min in a preheated oven until the edges are golden brown just slightly.
Let the cookies cool for a few minutes in the baking tray before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
ROYAL ICING:
Pour the egg white into a stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment and beat on high till it foams up (you can also use a hand mixer).
Add powdered sugar in batches and mix on low speed until sugar is incorporated and the mixture looks shiny.
Turn the speed up to high and mix till the mixture becomes thick and starts to hold peaks.
Divide the icing into two parts and tint them with red and black gel food colors, respectively.
Put both the icing in different icing bags.
ASSEMBLING:
Apply a thick layer of Biscoff spread on one side of the cookies without cutouts. Put all the cookies with a cutout on a surface and dust the tops with some powdered sugar. Place the cutout cookies on top of the cookies with Biscoff spread and press gently.
Using the black frosting, make the eyes and antlers of the reindeer, and use the red frosting to make its nose!
Let the icing set completely. Seve and Enjoy! Merry Christmas!!
NOTES:
You can store REINDEER LINZER COOKIES in an airtight container for 1-2 days at room temperature or for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
You can use candy melts/melted chocolate to make the face and antlers of reindeer instead of royal icing.
It’s better to bake the cookies with and without cutouts separately to minimize the chances of overbaking.
You can use peanut butter spreads, Nutella, jams, etc., in place of Biscoff spread. But, using Biscoff spread is highly recommended.
You can add 1 tsp of vanilla extract to the icing if you like for an added flavor.
Adjust the intensity of the red color till you get desired bright shade in the frosting.
Alternatively, if you can find small round candies, those can also be used for the nose.
Linzer cookies freeze well; for the best results, freeze them on cookie sheets first and then place them in an airtight container. I always line my cookie tins or containers with wax paper at the bottom and between the layers.
Pin it HERE!!
Pin it HERE!!
Reindeer Linzer Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 cups 480 grams All-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
- 1 cup 226 grams Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 1 cup 240 grams Superfine Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Tbsp. Vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar – to sprinkle on top
Royal Icing
- 2 Egg whites
- 3 cups 350 grams Powdered Sugar
- 1 cup Biscoff spread
- Black and red gel food color
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F / 180 C and line your baking sheet with parchment paper and keep aside.
- In a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients – flour and salt together; mix, and keep aside.
- In a stand mixer (you can also use the hand mixer for this), add in the butter and sugar and beat it at medium speed, scraping down the sides for at least 2-3 min or until the mixture is creamy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until everything is incorporated well.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in batches and mix till the dough is formed.
- Flatten the dough to form a disc, wrap it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Once chilled, on a floured surface roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut out shapes using a round cookie cutter to cut (3 inches). Keep half of the cookies as it is, and for the other half, cut out a smaller circle at the bottom part of the cookie using a 1-inch cookie cutter. *I have affiliate links above for these cookie cutters if you need them.
- Place the cutouts carefully on the prepared baking sheet and bake for at least 12-13 min in a preheated oven until the edges are golden brown just slightly.
- Let the cookies cool for a few minutes in the baking tray before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
ROYAL ICING:
- Pour the egg white into a stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment and beat on high till it foams up (you can also use a hand mixer).
- Add powdered sugar in batches and mix on low speed until sugar is incorporated and the mixture looks shiny.
- Turn the speed up to high and mix till the mixture becomes thick and starts to hold peaks.
- Divide the icing into two parts and tint them with red and black gel food colors, respectively.
- Put both the icing in different icing bags.
ASSEMBLING:
- Apply a thick layer of Biscoff spread on one side of the cookies without cutouts. Put all the cookies with a cutout on a surface and dust the tops with some powdered sugar. Place the cutout cookies on top of the cookies with Biscoff spread and press gently.
- Using the black frosting, make the eyes and antlers of the reindeer, and use the red frosting to make its nose!
- Let the icing set completely. Seve and Enjoy! Merry Christmas!!
Comments & Reviews
laura says
great
tunnel rush says
These adorable Reindeer Linzer Cookies are ideal for any holiday treat plate. I want to make this cake for Christmas for my girlfriend, but she is on a diet, how should I reduce it properly?
Tara Noland says
I have not tried to make these cookies dietic so I am sorry I am not of much help to you.