Description
Delightfully spooky and delicious, these Halloween Ghost Linzer Cookies combine a tender almond-infused buttery cookie sandwich with a sweet jam filling. Perfect for festive gatherings, these cookies are dusted with powdered sugar to resemble ghostly shapes, making them both a treat for the eyes and the palate.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookies
- 200 g (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 150 g (1 cup plus 1 tablespoon) icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 300 g (2 cups) plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 100 g (3/4 cup) almond meal (ground almonds)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
To Decorate
- Raspberry jam, apricot jam, or any jam of your choice
- Icing sugar (powdered sugar), for dusting
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened unsalted butter with icing sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract, mixing well to combine.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift together the plain flour, almond meal, and fine salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, folding until a smooth dough forms. Do not overwork to keep the dough tender.
- Chill the Dough: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, allowing it to firm up for easier rolling and cutting.
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Line baking trays with parchment paper.
- Roll and Cut Shapes: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to about 3-4 mm thickness. Using a ghost-shaped cookie cutter or any preferred shape, cut out equal numbers of whole and center-cut cookies (for the top halves). Use smaller ghost cutouts to create cut-outs in the top halves, allowing the jam filling to peek through.
- Bake the Cookies: Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking trays and bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on wire racks.
- Assemble the Linzer Cookies: Spread a small spoonful of your chosen jam onto each whole cookie base. Top with the cut-out cookie halves, gently pressing to sandwich them together.
- Dust with Icing Sugar: Generously dust the assembled ghost cookies with icing sugar to create a spooky ghostly appearance.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is essential for easy handling and maintaining shape during baking.
- You can use any jam flavor that complements the almond flavor, such as raspberry or apricot.
- Store cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh for up to one week.
- For a more festive touch, you can add mini edible eyes on the ghost cut-outs before dusting with icing sugar.
Keywords: Halloween cookies, Linzer cookies, ghost cookies, almond cookies, jam-filled cookies, spooky dessert