Lindzer Hearts: Dark Chocolate and Peppermint

These Linzer Hearts are based on the original, but with a Christmas-y chocolate-y goodness. Linzer Hearts are generally made with raspberry filling and a powdered sugar top. They’re super flaky and light. This version’s chocolate glaze and peppermint cream cheese frosting melt into the cookie leaving it literally melt-in-your-mouth yummy. As the chocolate melts slightly with counter storage, I do recommend refrigerating this version or freezing them (if you like frozen thin mints, you will love these frozen!). I experimented with different flours as part of my Baking Flours 411, so please use this recipe to substitute the flours of your choice!

Side note before we begin: Is it Lindzer or Lindser or Linzer or Linser? Honestly, I do not know. Rather than looking up the answer I chose to erratically use each spelling whenever I felt like it.

On to the recipe…

Ingredients

For cookie:
1c         butter
3/4c     sugar
1tsp      vanilla
2c         All-Purpose flour

For filling:
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
2  candy canes
Cream cheese frosting
Red food coloring (optional)

For chocolate glaze:
10 ounce (1 package) dark chocolate chips
1 large pinch of salt
4 tbsp butter

Make Cookies
Cream butter and sugar in mixer on high until super fluffy. Add in vanilla and mix until incorporated. Slowly add flour to butter mixer 1/2 cup at a time until incorporated. Chill for 1 hour. Roll out chilled cookie dough on floured surface to 1/8 – 1/4 inch thickness. To make layered cookies, use one large and one small heart-shaped cookie cutter (I like Williams Sonoma’s De Buyer Cookie Cutter sets). Cut one heart with a hole, one without.

Cookie cutter shapes for Linzer Hearts

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until edges turn a tiny bit golden brown.

Make Peppermint Cream Cheese Filling
Mix peppermint extract with cream cheese frosting. If you want, you can add red food coloring (optional) to either turn it pink or very gently swirl in the red food coloring to make a red & white swirled frosting. For the candy canes, smash them into tiny pieces (this is a fun exercise for children or ADHD adults) and reserve for sprinkling during assembly.

Make Chocolate Glaze
In a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter together. Mix in salt. If too thin, add more butter. And yup, that’s it.

Assembly
To assemble, frost bottom solid cookie with peppermint cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle with smashed candy canes. Dip top cut-out cookie in chocolate and let set. Once tops have dried fully (refrigeration helps), press together like a sandwich. Except this sandwich is waaaay more better.  Hope you enjoy the cookies and don’t forget to go crazy and try some of the other delicious Linser Heart variations! 

Lindzer Heart variations: From left, Fig and Nutmeg Goat Cheese, Raspberry Lemon Rosemary, Original Raspberry, Peppermint Cream Cheese with Chocolate Glaze

Linzer Hearts + Peppermint Cream Cheese + Dark Chocolate Glaze = yummy!