Low FODMAP Spitzbuben, also known as Linzer cookies, are the perfect Christmas cookies. The sandwich-like cookie is made of two buttery sugar cookies filled with raspberry jam. Each bite of this decadent cookie just tastes like Christmas.
Just because you live life with a sensitive gut doesn't mean that you can't enjoy the sweet joys of Christmas. This Christmas cookie recipe proves that living with food intolerances doesn't have to be a constant compromise in terms of food choices and taste. Instead, it's a celebration of the possibilities that come when other ingredient choices have to be made. Their taste and texture create foods that are as good as, if not better than the "original". This is why I don't ever feel as If I am missing out but instead my food intolerances have helped me broaden my culinary palete and recipe repetoire.
What makes a good low FODMAP cookie?
Gluten-free, low FODMAP flour
Making a low FODMAP cookie such as this jam-filled sugar cookie is challenging because the option to use wheat flour is off the table. This means that the already delicate shortcrust-like cookie dough has to be made without gluten as the binding agent. Therefore, the flour substitute used in low FODMAP and gluten-free baking needs to mimic the binding characteristic of wheat flour. The easiest way to resolve this issue is to use a commercial ready-made gluten-free flour mix that qualifies as low FODMAP. I have tried this recipe with several of these ready-made flour mixes I can get my hands on here in Europe. The only one I really liked with this cookie is Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. What set it apart from the other commercial gluten-free flours is that it doesn't contain corn flour as the main ingredient but relies on different rice flours, as well as potato starch, sorghum flour and tapioca flour. I really didn't like the taste of cornflour in this particular cookie recipe. So if you can get your hand on Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, it's a great option for this recipe. Just substitute the total amount of flour for the gluten-free flour mix.
Make your own gluten-free flour mix
Not everyone can get hold of a rice flour-based gluten-free flour mix and the taste of the cookie would anyway vary from flour mix to flour mix. So, in order for the taste of these Spitzbuben cookies to be as reproducible as possible, I started to get creative in combining some gluten-free flours most people can easily get hold of. Here is what I found to be the best flour mix for this particular cookie. As a base flour, this recipe calls for brown rice flour and some white rice flour. As binding agents I find the combination of potato starch and tapioca flour to work well. In order for the dough to hold well when rolled out, I add xanthan gum to the flour mix. And that's all, a clean, gluten-free and low FODMAP flour mix that's perfect for this type of sugar cookie.
Ingredients for the best Linzer cookie
Here is what you need to make great low FODMAP linzer cookie:
- Butter: If you would like for this recipe to be lactose-free use lactose-free butter.
- Powdered sugar: I like to use powdered-sugar as it dissolves well when beaten together with the butter. In order to make this recipe fructose-friendly, I use Frusano's fine-grained glucose syrup that is made from organic corn or rice syrup. However, if you can't get hold of it, use a dextrose sugar of your choice. Just be aware that dextrose has a higher water content than sugar and you might need more flour.
- Eggs: Use one whole egg and an additional egg yolk.
- Seeds of one vanilla pod: This baking essential gives the sugar cookie the famous delicate depth of flavour.
- Salt: Just a pinch to counterbalance the sweetness and to enhance the flavours.
- Gluten-free flour mix: The base for this particular flour mix is made of brown and white rice flour and binding agents potato starch and tapioca flour.
- Xanthan gum: To mimic the properties of gluten.
- Jam: Raspberry jam is low FODMAP in a 40g serving. Alternatively, I also like to use my home-made strawberry jam.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to make Spitzbuben cookies
Create the mixture: In a deep bowl beat the butter and powdered sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl as needed so that all the sugar and butter combine well. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla and beat until combined.
Create the flour mix: Measure out the brown rice flour, potato starch, white rice flour, tapioca flour, xanthan gum and salt into a separate bowl. Use a whisk to combine the flours. Make sure the flours are thoroughly mixed as failure to do so impacts the texture of the finished dough.
Combine mixtures: Combine the flour mix with the butter/egg mixture until just combined. Don't use an electric whisk to do so but gently fold the flour into the wet ingredients with a spoon or spatula. Don't overdo the mixing and don't knead the dough.
Refrigerate dough: Prepare two about 26 cm long pieces of cling film, overlapping them slightly on the long side and spoon the dough onto the middle of it. Flatten it out a little into a rectangular shape, pack it tightly into the cling film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Prepare to cut out cookies: Preheat the oven to 160°C / 320°F (top and bottom heat) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it soften for 5 to 10 minutes until it feels soft enough to roll. It should still feel cold, but not rock-hard.
Cut out cookies: Lightly flour a surface with brown rice flour and gently roll out half of the dough until it's about 4 mm thick. Use your preferred cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Transfer them to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Gather the scrap dough, roll and repeat until all the dough is used up. If at any time during this process the dough becomes sticky or hard to work with, simply wrap it up into the cling film and refrigerate for about 20 minutes until it's firm.
Once you've transferred all the cookies to one or more baking sheets, use your smallest cookie cutter or the end of a round piping tip to make a small cutout in the center of half of the cookies.
Bake cookies: Bake the cookies for about 12-15 minutes in the middle of the oven. Keep an eye on them for the last few minutes and remove them as soon as the edges begin to turn brown. Let them cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then carefully transfer them to a rack to cool completely.
Assemble cookies: Place the cookies with the holes in them on a parchment paper and sift powdered sugar over the top. Turn the remaining cookies flat side up and spoon about ½ teaspoon of jam into the center, spread it slightly and top with the sugar-dusted cookies.
Don't forget to immediately taste the cookies!
How to store the cookies?
Store the cookies in a cookie tin or an airtight storage container of your choice and in a cool place (not the fridge). In this way, they will keep for several weeks.
Low FODMAP Swiss "Spitzbuben" aka Linzer Cookies
Ingredients
- 150 g butter softened - use lactose-free if needed
- 100 g powdered sugar - low-fructose: fine-grained glucose syrup
- 1 seeds of one vanilla pod - or 2-3 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 150 g brown rice flour
- 60 g potato starch
- 20 g white rice flour
- 20 g tapioca flour
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 100 g raspberry jam
Instructions
- In a deep bowl beat the butter and powdered sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl as needed so that all the sugar and butter combine really well.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, salt and vanilla and beat until combined.
- Measure out the brown rice flour, potato starch, white rice flour, tapioca flour, xanthan gum and salt into a separate bowl. Use a whisk to combine the flours. Make sure the flours are thoroughly mixed as failure to do so impacts the texture of the finished dough.
- Combine the flour mixture with the butter/egg mixture until just combined. Don't use an electric whisk to do so but gently fold the flour into the wet ingredients with a spoon or spatula. Don't overdo the mixing and don't knead the dough.
- Prepare two about 26 cm long piece of cling film, overlapping them slightly on the long side and spoon the dough onto the middle of it. Flatten it out a little into a rectangular shape, pack it tightly into the cling film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 160°C / 320°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it soften for 5 to 10 minutes until it feels soft enough to roll. It should still feel cold, but shouldn't feel rock-hard.
- Lightly flour a surface with brown rice flour and gently roll out half of the dough until it's about 4 mm thick. Use your preferred cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Transfer them to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Gather the scrap dough, roll and repeat until all the dough is used up. If at any time during this process the dough becomes sticky or hard to work with, simply wrap it up into the cling film and refrigerate for about 20 minutes until it's firm. Once you've transferred all the cookies to one or more baking sheets, use your smallest cookie cutter or the end of a round piping tip to make a peekaboo cutout in the center of half of the cookies.
- Bake the cookies for about 12-15 minutes in the middle of the oven. Keep an eye on them for the last few minutes and remove them as soon as the edges begin to turn brown. Let them cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then carefully transfer them to a rack to cool completely.
- Place the cookies with the holes in them on a parchment paper and sift powdered sugar over the top. Turn the remaining cookies flat side up and spoon about ½ teaspoon of jam into the center, spread it slightly and top with the sugar-dusted cookies.
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