Delicate, buttery, and effortlessly elegant, these French sablé Linzer-style cookies bring together the refined texture of a classic French biscuit with the festive charm of a jam-filled holiday cookie. Their signature cut-out centre reveals a glossy layer of fruit preserves – simple, chic, and strikingly beautiful on any holiday table. With their melt-in-your-mouth crumb and jewel-bright centres, these cookies feel both nostalgic and modern, making them a holiday essential with unmistakable French flair.
Sablé, shortbread, linzer – what’s the difference?
When you see a tray of holiday cookies filled with jam and dusted in powdered sugar, it’s easy to assume they’re all the same. But behind the familiar shapes are three distinct traditions: the refined French sablé, the classic Scottish shortbread, and the beloved Austrian Linzer cookie. Understanding their differences not only brings culinary clarity – it helps you appreciate the beauty of the hybrid cookie you’re about to bake.
What makes a sablé French?
A sablé is all about texture: sandy, delicate, and quietly luxurious. It’s made with butter, sugar, flour, and sometimes a touch of egg. The flavour is clean and subtle, designed to melt rather than crunch. In France, sablés are an everyday indulgence as well as a pâtisserie classic.
Shortbread: the Scottish icon
Shortbread is firmer and slightly crisper, with a sturdier bite and a simplified ingredient list. Butter, sugar, flour—nothing more. It’s rustic, timeless, and deeply comforting.
Linzer cookies: the holiday classic
Born from the Austrian Linzer Torte, Linzer cookies are instantly recognizable by their nut-based dough and warm spices. Ground almonds or hazelnuts give them a tender, aromatic crumb, and raspberry jam is their signature filling.
So where do French Sablé Linzer-Style cookies fit?
This recipe blends the best elements of all three traditions.
- From the sablé, it takes a delicate French texture.
- From shortbread, it borrows simplicity and buttery flavour.
- From the Linzer, it adopts the festive jam-window style we all adore.
The result is something new yet familiar: a chic, French-inspired holiday cookie that feels festive, elegant, and irresistibly photogenic. A little Paris, a little Vienna, and a whole lot of holiday magic.
French Sablé Linzer-Style Cookies
Ingredients
- 250 g unsalted butter softened
- 120 g granulated sugar
- 1 egg white
- 1 pinch fine salt
- 2 tsp vanilla sugar or 1 tsp vanilla extract + 1 tsp sugar
- 350 g all-purpose flour
- 200 –250 g thick jam raspberry, strawberry, apricot, or cherry
- icing sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Cream the softened butter and sugar until smooth and lightly fluffy.
- Add the egg white, salt, and vanilla sugar (or vanilla + sugar), mixing until incorporated.
- Add the flour in two additions, mixing just until the dough forms a soft, cohesive ball.
- Flatten into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C) and line baking sheets with parchment.
- Roll the chilled dough to 4–5 mm thickness on a lightly floured surface or between parchment sheets.
- Cut an even number of shapes.U sing a smaller cutter, create a window in half the cookies.
- Arrange cookies with space between them and bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are barely golden. Cool completely.
- Spread a thin layer of jam on each solid cookie. Dust the cut-out cookies generously with powdered sugar. Place a dusted cookie on each jam-coated base. Let set 10–15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Storage tips
- Store in an airtight container for 3–5 days.
- Refrigerate if your jam is very soft; allow cookies to return to room temperature before serving.
Recipe variations
- Add 1 tsp finely grated lemon or orange zest for a citrus twist.
- Add a drop of almond extract for a nutty aroma.
- Fill with assorted jams (raspberry, apricot, cherry) for a festive platter.
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