Baking My Way: Linzer Stars (Best Shortbread Ever!)

This is one of my best finds, and favorite recipes. I use it as listed below and I also use it as a Christmas short bread recipe; icing and putting colored sprinkles on them. This recipe is fool proof and easy to do (my, now husband, make wedding cake shaped cookies for me for one of our showers, complete with icing and mini flowers on them using this recipe which he secretly copied while I was in the bathroom!)

Rating: I give these a 5! They are seriously good!! (1 being "I'll never bake them again" and 5 being "They are now one of my favorites")

½ cup Sugar
½ cup butter
1 tbsp Milk
1 tsp Vanilla
1 Egg
1 ¼ cup Flour
1 tsp Cream of Tartar
1 tsp Baking Soda
¼ tsp Salt
½ cup cherry or red current (or any type you like!) jelly
2 tsp Icing Sugar


Heat oven to 425. Combine sugar and butter. Beat well until light and fluffy. Add milk, vanilla, egg; beat well. Add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; mix well. Refrigerate for 3 hours (you don’t have to refrigerate but it works better that way).

Roll out chilled dough on floured surface. Cut with star cookie cutters (or whatever prefer). Cut out center of half of the stars. Cook for 3-5 minutes.

Cool for a couple minutes. Spread jelly over solid stars, press cut out cookies on top of solid jellied cookies. Sprinkle icing sugar over completed cookies.

Tip: These cookies freeze well and are even great eaten frozen. Best served chilled.

Have any good ideas, or substitutes for this....share them, leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you!!