Linzer Bar Recipes

LINZER BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Position the rack in the middle of the oven.
• Spread hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven until golden, about 10 minutes. Turn oven off since you will not need it on again for at least 45 minutes. Empty nuts onto a folded towel, enclosing them between the folds, and rub them to remove their skins. Transfer the nuts to a strainer and carefully discard the skins. Allow nuts to cool to room temperature.
• Put the hazelnuts in a food processor fitted with the stainless-steel blade and pulse a few times. Add cake flour and process until the nuts are finely ground. Set aside.
• In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and lemon zest on medium speed until light and creamy. Turn the mixer off and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Over medium speed, add the egg and continue mixing for 1 more minute. Reduce the speed to low, add the hazelnut-flour mixture, and continue mixing until well blended into a smooth dough.
• Divide the dough into 2 portions, with 1 portion about 8 ounces or 1/3 of the dough. Transfer to a medium pastry bag fitted with a number 1 plain tip and set aside. With the remaining 2/3 of the dough (about 20 ounces), form into a 1-inch flat disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• With a marking pen, trace a 16 by 13-inch rectangle shape on parchment paper. Place paper, marked side down, onto a baking sheet. With the reserved dough in the pastry bag, pipe straight parallel lines, about 1-inch apart, inside the marked rectangle. Then pipe a second set of parallel lines at a 45 degree angle to the first set of lines to make a trellis shape. Refrigerate until needed (dough should be well chilled before using).
• With more cake flour, lightly dust a pastry board or work surface with flour. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a rectangular shape, about 15 by 12 inches by 1/4-inch thick. Transfer dough to a parchment lined baking sheet and trim any excess dough to make an even rectangle. Bake for 20 minutes, or until dough starts to color. Remove baking sheet from the oven and transfer to a rack. Leave oven on. Allow dough to cool for at least 10 minutes.
• Spread raspberry jam over the entire surface of the cooled dough. Carefully place the refrigerated trellis-shaped dough over the jam. Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until crust is golden in color. Allow to cool completely before cutting. Trim edges and then cut into 3 by 1-inch bars. Lightly dust bars with powdered sugar.

RASPBERRY LINZER BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and lemon zest. In another bowl, mix flour, ground almonds and cinnamon; gradually beat into creamed mixture., Press 2 cups dough onto bottom of a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Spread with preserves to within 1/2 in. of edges. Crumble remaining dough over preserves., Bake until lightly browned, 35-40 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. If desired, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Cut into bars.

LINZER TORTE BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Mix all ingredients except preserves with spoon until crumbly. Press two-thirds of crumbly mixture on bottom of ungreased square pan, 9x9x2 inches. Spread with preserves. Sprinkle with remaining crumbly mixture; press gently into preserves.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely, about 1 hour. For 48 bars, cut into 8 rows by 6 rows bars. Or cut into squares or triangles.

HAZELNUT LINZER BARS

Steps:

• Make Classic Shortbread dough with just 1 cup flour. Add 1 cup ground oats and 3/4 cup finely ground hazelnuts with the flour. Mix one-third of the dough with 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts; freeze tablespoonfuls in clumps for 30 minutes. Press the remaining dough into a buttered 8-inch square pan. Spread with raspberry preserves and top with the frozen clumps. Bake about 50 minutes at 350 degrees.

LEMON LINZER BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, stir cookie base ingredients until soft dough forms. Spread dough in bottom of pan.
• Bake 20 to 23 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Spread raspberry jam over cooled base. In large bowl, beat cream cheese and lemon curd with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Drop lemon mixture by teaspoonfuls over jam layer; spread gently and evenly over jam.
• Sprinkle toasted almonds over top. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. To serve, top each bar with 1 raspberry, gently pressing into lemon mixture. Store covered in refrigerator.

LINZER COOKIE BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, place sugar cookie mix. Cut in 1/2 cup cold butter, using pastry blender or fork, until mixture is crumbly (do not overmix). Press mixture firmly in bottom of pan.
• Bake 15 minutes. Spoon and spread jam evenly over partially baked crust.
• Meanwhile, in another large bowl, place oatmeal cookie mix. Cut in 1/2 cup cold butter, using pastry blender or fork, until mixture is crumbly (do not overmix). Stir in water and chopped almonds. Sprinkle oatmeal cookie mixture over jam layer; press lightly into jam layer.
• Bake 20 to 24 minutes or until top is light golden brown and bubbling along edges. Cool completely, about 2 hours. Cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

LINZER BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F Grease a 9x9" square pan.
• Cream together butter, sugar, egg, lemon zest, salt, cinnamon, and cloves in a bowl.
• Mix in flour and walnuts.
• Reserve 1/4 of the dough, and pat the remaining into the prepared pan, going up about 1/2 inch on each side.
• Spread chosen jam flavor in a layer over top of the dough.
• Flour a flat surface.
• Use reserved dough to create a lattice top for the bars by dividing it into pencil-shaped strips and rolling it on the floured surface.
• Arrange in a lattice pattern across the top of the jam, criss crossing the strips and pressing the ends against the dough on the sides of the pan.
• Bake 45 mintures, or until lightly browned.
• Cool in the pan on a wire rack before cutting into bars.

LINZER TORTE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375F.
• Mix together flour, sugar, walnuts, cinnamon, and butter in a bowl until crumbly.
• Press 2/3 of mixture into an ungreased 9x9-inch baking pan.
• Spread preserves over crust.
• Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over the top of preserves, patting mixture down lightly.
• Bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes or until light golden brown.
• Cool completely before cutting into bars.

LINZER BAR

Steps:

• In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
• With a pastry blender or two knives use scissor style, cut in butter or margarine until coarse crumbs form.
• With a fork stir in corn syrup and egg just until mixed.
• Reserve 1/2 cup batter.
• Press remaining batter into a 9x9x2-inch baking pan.
• spread with jam.
• Stir 2 tablespoons flour into the reserved batter.
• If preparing a lattice add a couple tablespoons of water - one at a time - to make the dough easy to roll out. If you are dropping the dough by spoonfulls then just evenly scatter the top "crust" over the jam for a "spotty" look and bake.
• On a floured surface roll out to 1/4-inch thickness.
• Cut into 1/4-inch wide strips.
• Lattice strips over jam.
• Bake in 375-degree oven 30 minutes, or until set. Cool.
• Cut into bars. Serving size is really up to you - cut into as many bars as you want.