Linzer valentine cookies

Getting ready for Valentine’s Day with a sweet twist on a classic! These adorable Linzer Valentine Cookies are buttery, nutty treats filled with cherry jam and dusted with powdered sugar — plus a fun surprise: I used alphabet cutters to spell out little love messages inside. Perfect for sharing with your sweetheart (or treating yourself!).

Course snacks

Cuisine American

Keyword alphabet cookie cutters, cherry jam cookies, Linzer valentine cookies, valentine sandwich cookies

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Assembling the cookies 5

Total Time 50

Servings

Calories 325kcal

Author Evelyn Osborn

Equipment

Ingredients

½ cup Butter room temperature
½ cup Sugar
1 Egg
½ teaspoon Almond extract
½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
¾ cup Ground pecans
1 ½ cup Flour
½ teaspoon Cinnamon
Pinch salt
Cherry jam
Powdered sugar for garnish

Instructions

To get started on these dreamy Linzer Valentine Cookies, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) so it’s nice and ready when your dough is chilled and cut.
Grab a large mixing bowl and add your softened butter — room temperature is key for that perfect creamy texture!
Measure the sugar into the mixing bowl with your softened butter, then cream them together on medium speed until the mixture is light, smooth, and fluffy — this usually takes about 2-3 minutes and creates that perfect tender cookie base!
Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract to your butter-sugar mixture, then beat everything together on medium speed until it’s smooth, fully combined, and nicely blended — the mixture should look creamy and uniform with no streaks of egg or extract visible.
In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together the ground pecans, all-purpose flour, salt, and ground cinnamon until everything is evenly combined and well blended—no lumps or pockets of flour.
Now, gently add the dry ingredients (that lovely pecan-flour mixture) to your wet butter-sugar blend.
Beat on medium to high speed just until the dough comes together—no over-mixing here, we want tender cookies
Divide the dough into two equal portions, shape each into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and pop them into the freezer for about 30 minutes. Chilling firms it up beautifully, making it so much easier to roll out and cut those perfect heart shapes without sticking.
Take one half of the chilled dough from the freezer and place it on a well-floured surface (or between two sheets of parchment for easy cleanup).
Roll it out evenly to about ¼-inch thickness—aim for uniform so your cookies bake perfectly.
Then, use a round cookie cutter to cut out individual cookies. Gather and re-roll scraps as needed after a quick chill if they get too soft.
Place your cut-out cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart so they have room to spread just a little.
Bake in your preheated 350°F oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the cookies feel crisp to the touch. Keep an eye on them—the bottoms should turn a beautiful light golden brown, but don’t let them get too dark!
Once baked, carefully transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack using a spatula. Let them cool completely before filling—this keeps them crisp and makes assembly so much easier.
While one batch is baking and cooling, grab the second half of your chilled dough and roll it out on a well-floured surface to the same ¼-inch thickness.
Use the same round cookie cutter to cut out more tops for your sandwich cookies.
Then, switch to your alphabet cookie cutters and carefully cut out small letters right in the center of these top cookies—this is where the fun personalization happens!You can spell out sweet Valentine’s messages like “I ❤️ YOU,” “BE MINE,” “LOVE,” “HUGS” your sweetheart’s name, or any cute phrase that fits. .
Place the cookies with the cute letter cut-outs (your top pieces) onto a separate parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
Bake them in the preheated 350°F oven for 10-12 minutes, just until the edges turn lightly golden and they feel crisp. Watch closely—they bake quickly and you want them perfectly tender, not over-browned!
Once done, gently transfer them to a wire cooling rack using a spatula and let them cool completely. Cooling on the rack keeps them crisp and prevents sogginess before you add the cherry jam.
Once all your cookies have cooled completely on the wire rack (this is super important to keep them crisp and prevent the jam from making them soggy!), it’s time for the delicious filling step.
Take the solid round bottom cookies and spread a thin, even layer of cherry jam right in the center—about ½ to 1 teaspoon per cookie, depending on size. Use the back of a spoon or a small offset spatula to smooth it out nicely, leaving a little border around the edge so it doesn’t ooze out when you sandwich them.
Now gently place one of your baked top cookies (the one with the sweet letter cut-out) right on top of a jam-covered bottom cookie, pressing lightly so they sandwich together nicely—the cherry jam will peek through those adorable letters like a little love note!
Repeat with the remaining cookies, pairing each solid bottom with a matching letter top until you’ve created your full batch of personalized Linzer Valentine sandwiches.
To finish your beautiful Linzer Valentine Cookies, generously sprinkle a light, snowy layer of powdered sugar over the tops using a fine-mesh sieve—this creates that classic elegant dusting and makes the cherry jam peek through the letter cut-outs even more romantically!
Serve them right away for the freshest taste and crisp texture, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days (the jam will soften them slightly over time, which many people love even more).

Nutrition