Linzer Augen (Linzer Eyes)

These little ‘eyes’ are a fixture of the Austrian and German Christmas cookie table, as pretty as they are buttery. Two ground-almond shortbread rounds sandwich a layer of apricot jam, with a window cut in the top so the jewel-bright preserves peek through.

Ground almonds give the dough its richness and a delicate, sandy snap, keeping the cookies tender rather than hard and crisp.

Two details make them shine. First, bake the rounds pale, not browned, so they stay buttery and the almond flavor leads. Second, boil and strain the apricot jam into a sticky glaze; straining removes the chunks so the filling is smooth, and reducing it means it sets rather than oozing out the sides.

Dust the cut-out tops with powdered sugar before you assemble, so the sugar lands on the cookie and not in the sticky jam. Then fill the little window with a dot of glaze for that signature glistening eye.

Chef Tips

• Chill the dough until firm so it rolls cleanly and the cut shapes hold their edges.
• Keep the cookies pale in the oven; browning makes them hard and dulls the almond and butter flavor.
• Sugar the windowed tops before sandwiching so the powdered sugar stays bright on the cookie instead of dissolving into the jam.

Variations

• Swap the apricot for raspberry, red currant, or black currant jam for a redder window.
• Cut the window with a star, heart, or holly shape to suit the season.
• Work a little grated lemon zest or a splash of almond extract into the dough.