Linzer Heart Cookies

These Valentine Linzer Heart Cookies are a sweet and charming treat perfect for Valentine’s Day! This recipe features tender cream cheese sugar cookies cut into hearts, with a cute heart-shaped window revealing a vibrant pink jam buttercream filling.

Course Snack, snacks

Cuisine American

Keyword heart sandwich cookie, jam buttercream, Linzer heart cookies, valentine linzer cookies

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 8

Chill Time 1

Total Time 1 38

Servings

Calories 346kcal

Author Evelyn Osborn

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Cookies

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter softened
2 ounces cream cheese softened
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg

For the Jam Buttercream

1 cup unsalted butter softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons strawberry preserves
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 drop red food coloring optional

Instructions

For the Cookies

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set the dry ingredients aside.
Add the egg and vanilla extract, then beat on medium speed until fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth and well combined.
Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed (or by hand with a spatula) just until a thick, cohesive dough forms—avoid over mixing to keep the cookies tender.
When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper (or silicone baking mats) for easy release.
Remove one chilled dough disk from the refrigerator and unwrap it. On a lightly floured surface or pastry mat, roll the dough out to an even ⅛-inch thickness.Use a 3-inch rectangle cookie cutter to cut out 48 cookies.
Place 24 (half) of the 3-inch heart-shaped cookies (the solid bottoms) on the parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
Take the remaining half of the cookies (the tops) and use a 1-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the center of each one, creating a window. Gently remove the small cutout hearts and set them aside—these can be baked separately as adorable mini heart cookies!
Arrange the window cookies on the baking sheets as well.Bake in the preheated 375°F oven for 8–10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown. (The cookies will firm up as they cool, so avoid overbaking.)
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Repeat the rolling, cutting, and baking process with any remaining dough (re-chilling scraps if needed) until all cookies are baked and cooled.
While the Linzer heart cookies cool completely on the wire rack, prepare the jam buttercream filling.

For the Jam Buttercream

Add the powdered sugar and milk, then beat on medium speed until the jam buttercream is smooth, creamy, and spreadable (about 1–2 minutes).
If the filling seems too thick, add a tiny splash more milk; if it’s too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar until it reaches the perfect piping or spreading consistency.
Once the Linzer heart cookies have cooled completely, flip the solid 3-inch heart cookies (the ones without the center cutout) so the flat bottoms face up.
Using a small offset spatula or a spoon, spread a generous layer of the jam buttercream filling onto the flat side of each cookie. Aim for an even, slightly mounded layer that will fill the heart window nicely when assembled.
Gently place one of the 3-inch heart cookies with the center cutout (the “window” top) on top of each jam buttercream-covered bottom cookie.
Press lightly so the filling peeks beautifully through the heart-shaped window, creating your perfect Linzer Heart Sandwich Cookies.
For the best presentation and to help the filling set, chill the assembled cookies in the refrigerator for 15–30 minutes before serving or packaging.

Nutrition