These linzers draw inspiration from carrot cake, with warm chai spices quietly woven into a buttery shortbread dough. Brown sugar brings gentle caramel undertones, while powdered sugar in the dough gives the cookies a soft, tender texture that melts away as you bite. They’re filled with a white chocolate carrot ganache—lush and creamy, lightly tinted with fresh carrot juice, which lends a gentle earthiness. A soft caramel filling would be equally lovely here, leaning further into those brown sugar notes.
Baker’s Notes
Linzers are a longtime favorite of mine, and I’ve shared additional tips on shaping and baking them in my sourdough linzer cookies post. For this version, I like to prepare the ganache while the shortbread dough is coming together; a short rest in the refrigerator gives it time to thicken so it’s just right for filling once the cookies have cooled.
Chai Linzers with White Chocolate Carrot Ganache
Ingredients
Chai Shortbread
2 tablespoons (25 g) light brown sugar
1/2 cup (65g) confectioners sugar
1 cup (227g) unsalted butter
1/4 cup (50g) sourdough discard (optional)
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon allspice
2 1/4 cup (270 g) all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Carrot White Chocolate Ganache
5 oz (140 g) white chocolate, chopped finely
2 tablespoon carrot juice
1/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine the flour, spices and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy- about 3 minutes.
- Add the egg yolk, sourdough discard and vanilla and continue to mix until well combined.
- Add the flour, spices and salt. Mix on low speed, until the dough starts coming together. Don’t over mix.
- Divide the dough in half and shape into two discs. Place one between two pieces of parchment paper and roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. Repeat. Place the sheets on a cookie sheet and transfer to the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours, or up to 48 hours. Or place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. (I recommend making the carrot ganache here!)
- Preheat the oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove dough from the fridge/freezer and peel off the parchment paper. Using a cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out desired shapes Using a smaller cookie cutter, cut out the middles of half of the cookies. Re roll the scraps and place in the freezer to firm up.
- Place the cut-outs on your cookie sheets, about 1-2 inches apart. Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until the edges are light golden brown. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, let cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Dust the tops of the cookies with powdered sugar. Add a spoonful of ganache to the bottom halves. Place the sugared cookies on top pressing gently to create a cookie sandwich.
Make the Ganache
- Place the chocolate into a heat proof bowl. Add the cream and carrot juice to a small sauce pan and bring up to a bare simmer. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit for a minute. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the ganache is creamy. Transfer to the fridge, it will continue to thicken.
Notes
- It’s no secret I love linzers! For all my tips and tricks check out sourdough linzers .
- I like to make the ganache while I am making the shortbread. That way it has time to thicken in the fridge.
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