Description

Crisp black cocoa almond shortbread shaped like coffins, with small window cutouts so dulce de leche shows through in true linzer sandwiches. Includes a cutter-free printable-template approach in the article.

Ingredients

Unsalted butter, cold (8 Tbsp, 113 g)
Granulated sugar (1/2 cup, 100 g)
Powdered sugar (1/4 cup, 30 g)
Egg yolk (1 large)
Vanilla extract (1 tsp, 5 mL)
Almond flour (1 cup, 112 g)
All-purpose flour (1 1/4 cups, 156 g)
Black cocoa powder, unsweetened (1/4 cup, 24 g)
Fine salt (1/4 tsp)
Baking powder (1/8 tsp)
Dulce de leche, thick and spoonable (3/4 cup, 255 g)
Optional: powdered sugar or unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting (2–3 Tbsp, 15–20 g)

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Instructions

Make the dough: In a mixing bowl, beat cold butter with granulated sugar and powdered sugar until the mixture looks sandy and slightly clumped (about 1 minute). Mix in egg yolk and vanilla until smooth.
Add dry ingredients: Whisk almond flour, all-purpose flour, black cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder in a separate bowl. Add to the butter mixture and mix just until a cohesive dough forms. If it seems dry, press it together with your hands; avoid overmixing.
Chill: Shape dough into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate until firm (at least 1 hour, or up to overnight).
Roll and cut: Roll chilled dough to about 1/8 in (3 mm) thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut an even number of “bottom” coffin cookies (solid). Cut matching “top” cookies with small coffin “window” cutouts.
Keep windows small: Aim for window openings that are centered and modest in size so they don’t spread. Transfer cutouts to parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill trays 15 minutes while you preheat.
Bake: Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 8–11 minutes, rotating once. Doneness cue: edges look set and matte, and the top surfaces look mostly set but not deeply browned.
Cool and firm: Let cookies cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely (about 20–30 minutes). This cooling step is when the window frames become sturdy.
Fill: Spoon or spread dulce de leche onto the flat “bottom” cookies, keeping filling within the inner coffin area. The layer should be even but not overflowing.
Sandwich: Top each filled cookie with a “window” cookie. Press very gently so the sandwich adheres without cracking.
Finish (optional): Dust lightly with powdered sugar or cocoa powder for a Halloween finish. Let sandwiches sit 10 minutes to set before serving.

Notes

Template-free option: Use the cutter-free printable template method described in the article. Window rule of thumb: smaller openings bake more reliably and stay clean. If your kitchen is warm, work with one tray at a time—keep the rest of the dough chilled between cutting rounds. Doneness cue matters: bake until edges set, then fully cool for structural strength.