Hot Chocolate Linzer Cookies - Buttery and crisp chocolate linzer cookies sandwiched with a layer of dark chocolate ganache and marshmallow fluff!
No Christmas cookie box should be without linzer cookies and these Hot Chocolate Linzer Cookies are no exception! Not only are they so festive, they're also so so delicious and extremely easy to make!
Be sure to check out my other linzer cookies recipes, Nutella Linzer Cookies and Chocolate Sunbutter Linzer Cookies.
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Ingredient Notes
- All-Purpose Flour
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - You can use natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder.
- Salt - Use fine salt for best results.
- Unsalted Butter - Make sure your butter is at room temperature butter, which is around 68ºF (20ºC). You can quickly bring butter to room temp by cutting into small cubes and leaving on the counter.
- Powdered Sugar - The key to soft, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies is using confectioners' sugar.
- Vanilla - Adds extra flavor. You can use vanilla extract or vanilla paste.
- Marshmallow Fluff - You can use marshmallow creme or marshmallow fluff.
- Chocolate & Heavy Cream - We'll be making an easy chocolate ganache to fill the cookies.
*See recipe card for quantities.
Step By Step Instructions
Here are step-by-step photos and instructions on how to make these Hot Chocolate Linzer Cookies! Please find detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Step 1: Add softened butter, powdered sugar and vanilla to a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: With an electric mixer, beat until light and fluffy. About 2 minutes.
Step 3: Sift in flour, cocoa powder and salt and mix until just combined.
Step 4: Divide the dough in two pieces and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 45 minutes or up to 5 days.
Step 5: Roll your dough out to about ⅛ inch (3.1 mm) thickness. Then cut out your cookies with the shape of your choice.
Step 6: With a round 1-inch (2.5 cm) cutter, punch a hole in the center of 18 cookies, while leaving the other 18 cookies whole.
Step: 7 Place the trays of cookies in the freezer for 20 minutes before baking.
Step 8: Bake at 350ºF (176ºC) for about 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Step 9: Make chocolate ganache filling - Submerge finely chopped chocolate in hot cream.
Step 10: Stir to combine and allow to thicken on the counter, about 45 minutes.
Step 11: Lightly dust the "top" cookies with powdered sugar.
Step 12: Transfer chocolate ganache and marshmallow fluff into piping bags.
Step 13: Pipe a layer of chocolate ganache, followed by the marshmallow cream (measure with your heart) onto all your "bottom" cookies.
Step 14: Top with the top cookies and lightly press together. Enjoy!
Substitutions
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - You can use natural, dutch-process or black cocoa powder.
- Chocolate - Feel free to use milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate or dark chocolate for the chocolate ganache.
- Marshmallow Cream - Store-bought or homemade marshmallow fluff works.
Variations
- Flavor the Chocolate Ganache - You can easily jazz up the flavor the chocolate ganache by adding cinnamon, or even cayenne pepper (think Mexican hot chocolate)
- Other Fillings - Try filling these cookies with salted caramel, dulce de leche, Nutella, Biscoff cookie butter or fruit jams.
- Make it Gluten-Free - You can easily make these cookies gluten-free by using a 1 to 1 cup gluten-free flour blend.
Key Equipment
- Bowls
- Cookie Cutters - You can use any cookie shape you'd like. If you don't have cookie cutters, you can use anything you have in your house such as cups and lids.
- Silicone Spatulas
- Piping Tip/Piping Bags
Storage
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy for up to 5 days!
Expert Tips
Use a kitchen scale to weigh all your ingredients. Baking in grams, rather than volume, is the best and most accurate way to bake! All my recipes include gram conversions based on King Arthur's Weight Chart.
If you are not using a kitchen scale, measure your flour correctly. Fluff and aerate your flour first, then spoon into your measuring cup and finally level off with the back of a butter knife. Do not pack it in as it will add too much flour.
Chill out! The best part about shortbread cookies is that it's full of butter. To prevent the cookies from spreading and losing its beautiful shape, we will need to chill the dough several times. If at any point the dough gets too soft, pop it back in the fridge to firm up.
Dip your cookie cutter into cocoa powder or all-purpose flour to help them release easier.
You can make the dough 5 days in advanced. Just wrap tightly in cling wrap and store in the fridge. When you are ready to roll out your dough, allow to sit on the counter to soften a bit before rolling out.
Do not underbake these cookies. They should be cooked through and somewhat crisp.
You can get pretty creative with linzer cookies. Use any cookie cutter shape and size and have fun with the center cutout of the top cookie. Hearts, stars, holiday shapes and more! Keep in mind that if your cookie is larger, they may take longer to cook then specified in the recipe card.
FAQ
Linzer cookies originally hail from the country of Austria and are usually served around Christmas time! Traditionally, linzer cookies feature a sandwich of buttery shortbread cookies made with almond flour, and are then filled with jam. Nowadays, linzer cookies can be eaten anytime of the year and are made with different kinds of nuts and various fillings. My version is made without any nuts or eggs!
Yes! The cookie dough can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. Baked and unfilled cookies can be stored in an airtight container for 1 week. I would suggest filling the cookies the day you plan on serving them though.
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📖 Recipe
Hot Chocolate Linzer Cookies
INGREDIENTS
Chocolate Shortbread Cookie
- 1 Cup (227g) Unsalted Butter, room temp
- ¾ Cup + 1 Tablespoon (92g) Powdered Sugar sifted
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Paste or Extract
- 2 Cups (240g) All-Purpose Flour sifted
- ½ Cup (42g) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (natural or Dutch-process)
- ½ Teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
Chocolate Ganache
- ½ Cup (113g) Heavy Cream
- 4 Ounces (113g) Bittersweet Chocolate Bar finely chopped
Additional
- Marshmallow Fluff or Cream
- Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Make Chocolate Linzer Cookies - With a hand-held mixer or in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix room temperature butter, powdered sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. About 2 minutes on medium speed. 1 Cup (227g) Unsalted Butter, ¾ Cup + 1 Tablespoon (92g) Powdered Sugar1 Teaspoon Vanilla Paste or Extract
- Next, sift in all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder and salt. On the lowest setting, mix everything just until combined.2 Cups (240g) All-Purpose Flour½ Cup (42g) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (natural or Dutch-process)½ Teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- Divide the dough in half and transfer to plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour. I like to shape the dough into a rectangle, about ½ inch (1.27 cm) thickness to make it easier to roll out later.
- Sprinkle cocoa powder or flour onto your work surface and roll your dough out to about a little over ⅛ inch (3.1 mm) thickness.
- Lightly dip your cookie cutter into cocoa powder or flour and cut out your cookies. With a metal spatula, carefully transfer the cookies to a parchment lined baking tray, placing them ½ inch (1.27 cm) apart. Gather the scraps, reroll and cut out more cookies. I used a 2.5 inch (6.3 cm) cookie cutter and got 36 cookies. It may vary for you depending on how thick or thin you roll out your dough and the size of your cutter. See note below.
- With a round 1-inch (2.5 cm) cutter, punch a hole in the center of 18 cookies, while leaving the other 18 cookies whole. Place the trays of cookies in the freezer for 20 minutes before baking. This is a very important step and cannot be skipped.
- Bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for 10 to 12 minutes (depending on thickness). Allow to sit on the tray for several minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make Chocolate Ganache Filling - Finely chop your chocolate and transfer to a bowl. Add heavy cream to a small saucepan and heat until it reaches about 185ºF. Pour the hot cream over your chocolate, making sure to submerge it completely. Place a plate over the bowl and let stand for 3 minutes. Slowly mix until the ganache is incorporated. Allow to thicken at room temperature for 45 minutes.½ Cup (113g) Heavy Cream4 Ounces (113g) Bittersweet Chocolate Bar
- Once thickened, transfer chocolate ganache to a piping bag fitted with an open tip. You will also want to transfer the marshmallow fluff to another piping bag with with an open tip as well. Set aside.
- Lightly dust the "top" cookies (cookies with the holes) with powdered sugar. Alternatively, you can also keep them bare.
- Flip the "bottom" cookies over and pipe chocolate ganache onto the cookies, followed by the marshmallow fluff (measure with your heart). Place the top cookie on top of the filling and and lightly press down. Serve and Enjoy!!
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