Mozart Cookies
Submitted by BILLYTHEKIDSR
Austrian Mozart cookies with a buttery shortbread base, apricot rum filling, and confectioners sugar. Elegant sandwich cookies with a ring-and-circle design.
YIELD
2 dozen cookiesPREP
50 minCOOK
10 minREADY
2 hrsThese Austrian-style sandwich cookies are named after the famous composer and built like a small work of art. A buttery shortbread circle on the bottom, a ring of the same dough on top, and a jewel-like dollop of apricot filling peeking through the center, all dusted with confectioners’ sugar.
The dough is a classic Viennese Mürbteig: flour, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, lemon zest, and a full cup of butter cut in until it resembles coarse crumbs, then kneaded smooth. The hour of chilling is essential. Warm dough crumbles instead of rolling cleanly, and these need to be cut precisely into matching circles and rings.
The filling pulls its weight too. Apricot preserves warmed with fresh lemon juice and a tablespoon of rum creates a glossy, tangy-sweet glue that holds the assembly together and fills each ring’s center with bright fruit flavor.
Handle these gently during assembly. They’re delicate when warm. Brush the circles while still slightly warm so the apricot mixture grips, then press the rings on with a light touch.
Pro Tips
- Chill the dough until truly firm. If it softens while you’re cutting, pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes
- Save the small circles punched from the rings. Re-roll them to cut more cookies and waste nothing
- Strain the apricot preserves through a mesh sieve before heating if they have large fruit chunks. You want a smooth, spoonable consistency
- Store in a tin with parchment between layers. These keep well for over a week
Variations
- Raspberry filling: Swap apricot preserves for seedless raspberry jam and skip the rum for a different fruit profile
- Chocolate dipped: Dip the bottom of each assembled cookie in melted dark chocolate for a Mozart Kugel-inspired twist
- Almond dough: Replace 1 cup flour with finely ground almonds for a nuttier, more fragile shortbread
Ingredients
Directions
Add the sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, salt and lemon rind to the well.
Mix the ingredients in the well together with the flour.
Then cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or two sharp knives. At this point the dough will resemble coarse crumbs.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead it with your hands until smooth and firm.
Divide dough in half and shape into two balls.
Wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate until firm enough to roll out, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, heat the apricot preserves over low heat, stirring constantly. Stir in lemon juice and rum. Let cool.
Heat oven to 325℉ (160℃).
Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface or between two sheets of floured wax paper.
Roll out with a floured rolling pin to about ¼ inch thickness. Cut out circles of dough about 2 inches in diameter.
Place half of the circles onto greased or non-stick cookie sheets.
Cut the other half of the circles again with a small shot glass or cookie cutter to form a ring shape. (Make an equal amount of rings to circles.)
Place the rings onto buttered baking sheets.
Bake until light gold, 10 to 12 minutes.
Cool a little on the cookie sheets.
- To assemble, brush the still-warm circles with the cooled apricot mixture. Place one ring on top of each circle and press gently (they break easily) to secure. Spoon a small dollop of the apricot mixture into the center of the cookies. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.
Cool. Store in a tightly closed tin.
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