A playful savory twist on the classic Linzer cookie — flaky, cheesy shortbread sandwiched with vibrant tomato jam.
To prepare the shortbread thins: roll the dough 1/8 inch thin and cut rounds. On half of the rounds, cut a small hole in the center. Bake until golden. Spoon about 3/4 teaspoon of tomato jam onto each bottom round and top with the cut-out rounds, gently pressing to form sandwiches.
The dough uses only a few quality ingredients. I favor aged hard cheeses and combine Parmigiano-Reggiano with Prima Donna (aged Gouda) in this recipe for depth of flavor.
These make a spectacular, inventive hors d’oeuvre for gatherings. I love nibbling them with a glass of rosé in hand.
Variation: serve a single savory Linzer round topped with a small chunk of cheese, a drizzle of tomato jam and a tiny herb sprig for an elegant bite.
I buy my cheeses at Teitel Brothers in the Bronx, NY — friendly service and excellent Italian selections.
Also see: Cheddar and Herb “Pennies” — Savory Shortbread Crackers (gluten-free option available)
Savory Cheese Linzer Shortbread Thins with Tomato Jam
Equipment
- Stand mixer
- Rolling pin
- Cookie cutters
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 cups finely grated aged cheese, half Parmigiano-Reggiano, half Prima Donna Gouda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley, crumbled
- 10 teaspoons Karen’s Tomato Jam, about 3/4 teaspoon per sandwich
Instructions
- Cream the butter in a stand mixer with the paddle until light and fluffy, about one minute. Scrape the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour, salt, grated cheeses and dried parsley. Mix on low until the mixture becomes crumbly. Scrape the bowl and mix just until the dough starts to come together.
- Gather the dough onto a long piece of waxed paper and shape into a smooth ball. Dough will feel crumbly; your warm hands will help it come together. Divide the dough in half and place each half between waxed paper. Roll each to about 1/8 inch thick to form two 9-inch rounds.
- Place both rounds on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for one hour, until very firm.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment. Cut 2 1/2-inch circles and space them about 1/2 inch apart. Re-roll scraps quickly to use all the dough. You should have roughly 36 circles (18 tops and 18 bottoms). Preheat the oven to 350°F. Chill the sheets for 15 minutes before baking.
- On one sheet, cut 3/4-inch centers from each circle to create the tops and reserve the cutouts. Bake both sheets until evenly golden and crisp, about 18 minutes. Cool on wire racks. While still slightly warm, assemble: place 3/4 teaspoon of tomato jam on a full circle, top with a cut-out circle and gently press. Repeat to make about 18 filled shortbread sandwiches.
Notes
Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Filled thins will keep up to 3 days; unfilled thins up to 2 weeks.
See the Tomato Jam recipe for details on the filling.
This recipe is the work of its author, Karen Sheer; please do not reproduce without permission.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
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