Linzer Cookies, a Rich and Fragrant Christmas Delicacy

A day or so separates from us from Christmas and it surely be one of the most unique Christmas days ever celebrated. For many, it will be spent in isolation or away from loved ones.  In times like these, I think it's best to maintain as much as possible the spirit of this holiday and enjoy it the best way we can. Luckily, there is no shortage of great classic sweets that will can surely lift our mood and spirits. A great example is Linzer cookies, a rich and fragrant treat best enjoyed during the holidays. Now, more than ever, we have the right need to indulge enjoy buttery rich, delicious and comforting baked goods. 

Traditionally these cookies are made from the same dough as Linzer torte. I often make and enjoy this dessert and I bake every now and then. From the Linzer torte to the cookies, you will need few adjustments to make the texture more crumbly and better suited for cookies. 

A short historic background of this recipe: Linz, a beautiful Danubian city, is considered the birth place of the Linzer torte (torte meaning cake in German). This cake is thought to be one the oldest cake recipes known in Europe, going back to 1696, but it seems that some historians found an older recipe from Verona dating back to 1653.

The Linzer torte is a rich cake, full of spices and enticing flavors, all topped with a sweet tangy raspberry jam. The use of spices in sweet recipes is quite common in many parts of Europe, especially in colder European countries. Spices are widely used in Middle-Eastern and Asian countries, but their use is widespread in savory dishes, which is not always the take in traditional European cuisine. It's always interesting to see how different cultures approach and use the same ingredient. Personally, I believe that using spices, especially in desserts, warms the body and uplifts the soul, something that is quite convenient in colder climates with long, dark and cold nights. In all cases, I love spices and welcome their use whenever possible.

For the dough you need (enough for 10 to 12 cookies):

• 1 cup of toasted ground almonds, or hazelnuts (about 140 g)
• 1 cup of flour (160 g)
• 1/4 cup of powdered, granulated or even brown sugar (45 g), if you want the dough to be sweeter you can double the amount
• 1/2 cup of cold butter (112 g)
• Zest of half a lime or lemon
• 1/4 tsp of cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp of ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp ground star anise
• A dash of salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• Raspberry jam (recipe will follow).

In a food processor combine almonds and sugar, pulse until blended. Add the flour, the spices and the zest, pulse again until well mixed.

Now you can add the butter to the rest of the ingredients in the food processor and pulse until combined or put the mixture into a big bowl and incorporate the butter with the dry ingredients with your hands or a dough blender. When well mixed add the egg yolk and mix until you have a firm non sticky dough.

Wrap it in plastic and leave it in the fridge for about 3 to 4 hours (or even over night).

Take the dough out, and  on a floured surface roll it out for about a 4 or 5 mm thick, cut out the cookies and cut the Linzer eyes in half of them. Once done, put the cookies back to the fridge until firm.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven (160C) , then bake the cookies until the edges are golden brown (about 15 minutes).

Leave to cool completely on a wire rack 

For the jam I used:

• 170 g raspberry (fresh or frozen)
• 100 g of sugar (or 170 if you want it sweeter)
• The seeds of a half vanilla bean
• Squeeze of a lemon juice (just few drops). 

Combine all ingredients in a heavy bottom pan, when they start to boil and the raspberry starts falling apart, sieve the mixture (it is easier doing it at this stage) then put the jam back to the pan and leave it to simmer for about 20 or 30 minutes until it gets rather thick. 

Now all you need to do is to sandwich the cookies together with the raspberry jam, or any other jam that you prefer. Dust them with some powdered sugar and enjoy them with a cup of coffee or tea. 

 

The cookies are really delicate, crumbly and delicious. They make the perfect Christmas gift to your loved ones, or just gift them to yourselves because you too deserve all the love.

 

Finally, all that's left to say is Merry Christmas! 

Burnt Basque Cheesecake; A Cheesecake Like No Other

This year will definitely will go on record as one of the most difficult humanity has ever faced in recent memory. 

I have used blogging as a tool to explore and elevate my baking skills, interact with like-minded people from across the globe and quite frankly to have some fun. Having said that, I found it pretty difficult to blog this year for the reasons we all know and for personal ones too.  

However, it dawned on me these past weeks that baking has always managed to lift my spirits and helped me to get over whatever life decided to throw at me. So I baked and baked some more and boy have I got some recipes for you! 

I am quite happy to be sharing my first blog for the year with a recipe of a scrumptious cheesecake that will surely wash away all of the year's bitterness and stress with its creaminess and heavenly flavor. 

The recipe I´m sharing is not similar to other cheesecake recipes I have shared before. Here you can check some along with the last one that I shared in the past. These were great in their own right. 

This recipe was developed almost 30 years ago by Chef Santiago Rivera of La Viña restaurant in San Sebastian in the Basque region of Spain. 

After testing many cheesecake recipes, he created his own unique take on this ever so popular dessert. The result was an immediate hit and his version is considered by many to be one of the best in Spain and perhaps in the world. I´m sure you must have seen it all over the internet, and the best part is how easy it´s to make! Trust me, give it a try and you won´t be disappointed.  

I have adapted the recipe to my liking, I had to cut down the amount of sugar, used in the original one, and added the enticing flavors of vanilla and lemon zest, but you can add any other aroma you fancy.   

Ingredients:

• 570g cream cheese at room temperature
• 4 large eggs
• 285 heavy cream (35%)
• 150 g white sugar
• 9 g corn starch or flour
• a pinch of salt
• seeds of  half a vanilla pod 
• 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. 

First in a bowl, whisk the cheese, sugar, salt,  the eggs, the vanilla and the lemon zest. Then add the flour and whisk again and lastly add the cream and mix to combine. 

Wet a parchment paper, wrinkle it and cover an 18 cm springform pan with the wet paper. 

Pour the batter in the pan and bake in a preheated oven (200-210C) for 30 to 40 minutes. The cake will rise and the surface will take on a  glorious dark brown color. When you take the pan out, the center should remain a bit jiggly, but this is perfectly normal. Please avoid over baking it.

The dark brown top layer is not only visually pleasing, but it also adds sweet caramel notes to the cheesecake, making it extra delicious. 

Once it´s done, put it on a cooling rack, and let it cool completely before you put it in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight for better results. 

Finally, all you have to do is to slice the cake and enjoy it as it is. It really doesn´t need any topping or syrup. Just enjoy the creamy, silky smooth and utterly delicious dessert, one spoonful after the other.