Austrian Linzer Torte
A delicate almond shortbread cookie layered with raspberry jam and topped with a lacy pastry lattice. This elegant Austrian classic looks impressive but comes together in under an hour.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 8
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 6g
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup ground almonds (or almond flour)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup raspberry jam
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
- 1
Place the softened butter and 0.75 cup sugar in a large mixing bowl, then use an electric mixer or whisk to beat them together until the mixture looks pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- 2
Add the egg yolk to the butter mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until no yellow streaks remain and the mixture is uniform.
- 3
In a separate bowl, combine 1.5 cups flour, 0.75 cup ground almonds, and 0.25 teaspoon salt, stirring with a fork until evenly mixed.
- 4
Pour the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms with no visible dry streaks, about 1 minute.
- 5
Divide the dough into two pieces: one slightly larger (two-thirds of the dough) and one slightly smaller (one-third). Wrap each piece separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- 6
Preheat the oven to 350°F and position a rack in the center, waiting until the indicator light turns off or you hear a beep, about 10 minutes.
- 7
Remove the larger piece of dough from the refrigerator and place it between two sheets of parchment paper, then use a rolling pin to flatten it into a circle roughly 9 inches across and 1/8 inch thick.
- 8
Slide the rolled dough (still between parchment sheets) onto a flat work surface or baking sheet and peel off the top layer of parchment paper.
- 9
Use a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom as a guide: carefully slide the parchment with the dough circle onto the pan's base and press the dough gently to cover the bottom and fit the sides, then trim any overhang.
- 10
Spread 0.75 cup raspberry jam evenly across the dough base, leaving a 1/2-inch border at the edge so the filling doesn't spill.
- 11
Remove the smaller piece of dough from the refrigerator and roll it between two parchment sheets into a circle roughly 9 inches across and 1/8 inch thick.
- 12
Peel off the top parchment layer, then use a sharp knife to cut the dough circle into strips about 0.5 inches wide, cutting straight down through the full thickness of the dough.
- 13
Arrange half the strips across the jam-covered base in one direction, spacing them about 1 inch apart, then arrange the remaining strips diagonally across in the opposite direction to create a lattice pattern.
- 14
Press the lattice strips gently where they overlap so they stick together and hold their shape during baking.
- 15
Slide the tart pan into the preheated 350°F oven and bake for 25–30 minutes until the pastry strips turn the color of warm honey and the jam just begins to bubble slightly at the edges.
- 16
Remove the torte from the oven using oven mitts and set it on a wire cooling rack, then let it cool at room temperature for at least 10 minutes so the jam sets and the pastry firms up.
- 17
Gently push up the removable tart pan base to release the torte and slide it onto a flat serving plate.
- 18
Dust the top surface evenly with 2 tablespoons powdered sugar using a fine-mesh sifter or small spoon, creating a light, even coating.
Tools you’ll need
- large mixing bowl
- electric mixer or whisk
- wooden spoon
- fork
- plastic wrap
- oven
- parchment paper
- rolling pin
- 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom
- sharp knife
- oven mitts
- wire cooling rack
- flat serving plate
- fine-mesh sifter
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