Dessert Recipes

Linzer Tart Hearts

About 3 large cookies

Indulge in exquisite Linzer Tart Hearts – delicate, buttery cookies filled with sweet preserves. Perfect for Valentine's Day, these impressive sandwich cookies are a delightful treat and a wonderful, heartfelt gift for someone special. Read More

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Tom the ChefPublished: 2.9.2026

Dessert Recipes

Vegetarian

40 min.

1 h. 50 min.

1/5

Before You Start

Let’s talk about important parts of the recipe before you start…

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Baking the Perfect Linzer Tart Hearts with Tom the Chef

Welcome to my kitchen! I am so excited to share my personal approach to making Linzer Tart Hearts. These cookies are a staple in the world of cookies and biscuits, offering a sophisticated balance of textures and flavors. As the author of this recipe, I have found that using a touch of lemon zest and high-quality strawberry preserve makes these sweet treats truly stand out. Whether you are looking for a heartfelt gift or a stunning dessert for a celebration, these homemade sandwich cookies are the perfect choice. Let me guide you through the baking process to ensure your holiday cookies turn out beautifully every single time.

The Secret to the Linzer Tart Hearts Dough

When I prepare the dough for Linzer Tart Hearts, I start by combining the dry ingredients in a kitchen mixer. I use 3 cups of flour, 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar, and a half teaspoon of baking powder. I also add the lemon zest from one lemon to provide that signature bright note. I shortly stir these together with a whisk for about one minute before adding the wet ingredients. I add 2 1/2 sticks of soft butter, 2 large eggs, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. I process it at a slow speed and then increase to medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. It is important to remember that the dough will be sticky at this stage, but it will harden during the resting time. This foundation is essential for creating high-quality cookies and biscuits.

The Importance of Resting Time for Homemade Cookies

After the dough is formed, I wrap it in plastic wrap. A tip I always share is that if you want to work with the dough soon, you should form it into a disk instead of a roll. I let it cool in the refrigerator for about one hour. This resting time allows the butter to firm up, making the Linzer Tart Hearts much easier to handle. If you leave the dough in the fridge overnight and it fully hardens, I suggest removing it about an hour before you plan on cutting your sweet treats. This ensures the texture is perfect for using a rolling pin without the dough cracking.

Mastering the Rolling Pin and Heart Shape Template

When it is time to shape the Linzer Tart Hearts, I preheat my oven to 350°F. I always work on a floured surface to prevent sticking. I flatten the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch to 3/8 inch. Using a heart shape template, I cut an even number of cookies since they will be paired as a sandwich. To create a beautiful visual effect, I use small and medium cookie cutters to create openings in the top parts. It is vital to keep a matching bottom part for each heart without any openings. This precision is what makes these sandwich cookies look professional and elegant.

Hand pressing a heart cutter into rolled dough for Linzer Tart Hearts on a lined baking sheet.

Baking Techniques for Perfect Strawberry Preserve Cookies

I bake the Linzer Tart Hearts in a preheated oven for about 12 to 15 minutes. During the baking process, I make sure to rotate the baking sheets halfway through for even heat distribution. I tell my students to watch the surface texture; it should turn from doughy to solid and slightly fluffy. Many people get confused because the cookies feel soft right after baking and think they are underbaked, but extending the time too much will overbake them. I always let them cool completely on the baking sheet before I even think about moving them, as these large hearts are fragile and prone to cracking.

Final Assembly and Confectioners’ Sugar Finish

The final step in creating Linzer Tart Hearts is the assembly. I spread strawberry preserve on the bottom parts and carefully place the top parts over them. I use an icing spatula for easy manipulation. For a special touch, I take the small cookies I cut out earlier, put a bit of strawberry preserve on them, and glue them around the perimeter of the larger cookie. Before serving, I like to sprinkle them with confectioners’ sugar. While not part of the recipe, a modification that is not part of the recipe could include using different flavored jams like raspberry or apricot. For the best result, I let them rest in the fridge for an hour before serving these delicious holiday cookies.

Hand presses a star-and-heart cut-out dough top onto a jam-filled Linzer Tart Hearts base.

Customizing Your Heartfelt Gift

These Linzer Tart Hearts make a wonderful heartfelt gift when wrapped in cellophane. While the recipe is perfect as is, a modification that is not part of the recipe could be dipping half of the finished cookie in melted chocolate for extra decadence. However, I prefer the classic look of the strawberry preserve peeking through the cut-outs. Ensuring you have the right tools, like a kitchen mixer and high-quality cookie cutters, makes this baking experience enjoyable and successful. These sweet treats are sure to be a hit at any gathering or as a simple afternoon snack.

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Linzer Tart Hearts

About 3 large cookiesTom the ChefPublished: 2.9.2026 ☆☆☆☆☆0x(write a review)👁315x

40 min.

1 h. 50 min.

1/5

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Ingredients:

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Dough:

3 cups of all-purpose flour

Extra flour for flouring surface (adjust if needed)

2 cups of confectioners’ sugar

½ TSP of baking powder

1 Zest from 1 lemon

2 ½ sticks of unsalted butter - room temperature (10 OZ)

2 PCS of large eggs

1 TSP of vanilla extract

Filling:

1 cup of strawberry preserve (adjust if needed)

Optional Final Touch:

Optionally: of confectioners’ sugar (adjust if needed, for sprinkling)

Tools:

Click any tool to learn more

1x Measuring Spoons

1x Measuring Cups

1x Kitchen Mixer with Flat Beater Attachment (or Hand Mixer)

1x Whisks

1x Small Hand Grater or Zester

1x Plastic Wrap

1x Bowl Scraper or Silicone Spatula

1x Rolling Pin

1x Heart Shape Template (below)

1x Paring Knife

1x Cookie Cutters (Small and Medium sizes)

2x Icing Spatula

3x Baking Sheet with Parchment Paper or Silicone Matt

1x Offset Spatula (or Dull Knife)

Nutrition:(recipe split into 3 servings)

Vegetarian

Nutrition is not available for this recipe — the figures its ingredients give did not pass our accuracy checks, so we would rather show nothing than a number we cannot stand behind.

Directions:

1.Dough:

Let’s start the preparation of Linzer Tart Hearts by preparing the dough.

1.1.

Place into a kitchen mixer with a flat beater attachment:

3 cups of flour

2 cups of confectioners’ sugar

½ TSP of baking powder

Lemon zest from one lemon

Shortly stir together using a hand whisk until nicely combined (about 1 minute).

1.2.

Add:

2 ½ sticks of butter – soft

2 large eggs

1 TSP of Vanilla Extract

Process at a slow speed until all ingredients are partially combined.

1.3.

Then increase the speed to medium-high and process until the dough is formed (about 2 – 3 minutes).

Note: The cookie dough will be sticky after processing. It will harden during the following resting time in the fridge.

2.Resting Time:

2.1.

Wrap the dough with plastic wrap (scoop it on the wrap and then cover it with the wrap).

Tip: If you want to work with the dough soon, form it into a disk, not into a roll shape.

2.2.

Let cool in the refrigerator until partially, but not totally, hardened (about 1 hour).

Important: If the dough in the refrigerator fully hardens (if left for a longer time, for example, overnight), remove from the refrigerator about an hour before cookie cutting.

3.Set Oven to Preheat:

3.1.

Set oven to preheat to 350°F.

4.Cut the Linzer Tart Heart:

Notes:

Work one by one on a floured surface.
The dough needs to always sit on a floured surface during flattening to be able to separate the cut cookies that are ready to bake.
Each large heart cookie consists of two cookies (one top and one bottom, like a sandwich). Make sure that you cut an even number of cookies.

4.1.

Place the dough on a floured surface and lightly flour the top of the dough.

4.2.

Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough into about ¼” – 3/8” thickness (based on your preference). If the dough starts sticking, add flour.

4.3.

Cut the dough into heart shapes using the template below the recipe or your templates.

4.4.

To create the best visual effect, use small and medium cookie cutters to cut openings in the top part of each heart.

Important: Keep a matching bottom part for each heart without any openings cut.

Tip: Bake and keep the shapes you cut out from each heart because they can be glued onto the hearts as a final step with extra preserves for an even better visual effect!

4.5.

Gently place cut hearts on a baking sheet with parchment paper using an icing spatula.

Important: Make sure they are not touching each other.

Tip: From the dough leftovers, cut a few bonus cookies for the baker 😊. Or, to make it even easier, place the leftover dough on the baking sheet and bake it along with the hearts (they will not look as pretty, but they will taste just the same).

5.Bake:

5.1.

Bake in a preheated oven until fully baked. The surface turns from a doughy texture to solid but slightly fluffy (about 12 – 15 minutes).

5.2.

Rotate the baking sheets in the middle of baking.

Note: Right after baking, the cookies have a soft texture, which can make some people confused and think it is a sign of underbaking; this is why some people tend to extend the baking time and overbake cookies. To ensure cookies are properly baked, watch the surface texture and bake the cookies for at least 10 minutes to reach the best results.

5.3.

Let totally cool on the baking sheet before assembly.

Note: The heart shapes are very large, which makes them more fragile than smaller cookies. Not moving them before they are fully cooled will prevent cracking.

6.Assemble the Linzer Tart Hearts:

6.1.

Spread some preserve on the bottom parts of heart cookie and slowly and carefully cover it with the top part (top parts are those that have cut-outs from the small and medium cookie cutters).

Tip: Use an icing spatulas for easy manipulation, especially with the top parts.

6.2.

Then, using an offset spatula or a dull knife, scoop a small amount of preserves and gently spread it onto each of the small and medium cookies that were cut out from the top part of the heart. Place them (glue them) around the perimeter of the larger cookie.