Linzer Torte is a holiday classic in the Austrian, Hungarian, Swiss, German and Tyrolean traditions, often prepared for Christmas. The recipe for this rich dessert has been known since the late 1600s and is thought to have originated in Linz, Austria. A copy from 1696 can be found at the Vienna Stadt-und Landesbibliothek. In the 1850s, an Austrian traveler by the name of Franz Hoelzlhuber allegedly brought the Linzer Torte to Milwaukee, from where the recipe spread over the United States. PS Let common sense be your guide when turning on the oven to pre-heat.