Vanille Hoernchen German Christmas Cookies Recipes

BETHMAENNCHEN - GERMAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Finely grind the measured almonds.
• Break the marzipan dough into small pieces and mix with one of the eggs, rosewater, powdered sugar, ground almonds and flour.
• Separate the remaining egg and beat the yolk, set aside.
• Form marzipan mixture into balls the size of walnuts.
• Press three almond halves onto the sides of each ball. The almonds should stand up and down and be evenly spaced around the ball.
• Brush each ball with the beaten yolk and place on a cookie sheet.
• Place cookie sheet on the middle rack and bake 15 minutes until golden brown.

CHRISTMAS ROCKS GERMAN COOKIE

Steps:

• Cream butter, shortening, brown sugar and vanilla all together.
• Add beaten eggs, until fluffy.
• Sift two cups flour with the salt and spices.
• Dissolve the baking soda in hot water.
• Add soda to creamed mixture alternately with the dry ingredients.
• Blend well.
• Toss the fruit with the last 1/2 cup of remaining flour.
• Work this into the dough by hand.
• Drop from a teaspoon 1 inch apart onto greased cookie sheet.
• Bake 325 degrees F.
• for ABOUT 15 minutes.
• Remove to cooling rack.

MANDELSPRITZGEBäCK (GERMAN CHRISTMAS ALMOND COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven (375°F, 190°C).
• Grease baking trays.
• Mix butter with sugar until creamy. Add egg and egg yolk and mix until foamy.
• Add almonds and a few drops oil of bitter almonds.
• Add flour (mixed with baking powder) little by little and mix. The dough should be elastic, but will not be smooth.
• Fill in the dough into a cookie press with big star nozzle or better into a meat grinder with a big star nozzle.
• Make/press dough strings of about 2 to 3-inches. Form dough strings into rings, "S", horseshoes or any other shapes you like and place on baking tray.
• Bake for about 12 minutes. Cookies should still be light.
• NOTE: Oil of bitter almonds: if you can't find it, use almond extract.
• NOTE on cookie press: the dough is elastic but not smooth. So using a simple icing bag could be difficult. I use a meat grinder with a special cookie star nozzle. You can use a suited cookie press.
• NOTE on custom yield: I really can't give the correct custom yield. But the amount will make several baking trays. Baking time is given for one tray.

CINNAMON STARS (ZIMTSTERNE) GERMAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Steps:

• Separate egg yolks from whites and beat whites until stiff peaks form.
• Slowly sift in the sugar and lemon juice, then beat some more for about 8 minutes.
• Put aside 4 heaped tablespoons of the meringue - this will be used to top the cookies later on.
• Add ground almonds and cinnamon to the remaining meringue and mix well. You might want to add a dash of rum or Amaretto.
• Cover the dough and let it rest in the fridge for about an hour.
• Sit down, relax and have a cup of tea.
• After an hour fetch the dough from the fridge.
• Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 3/160C/320°F.
• Sprinkle a surface with confectioners' or regular white sugar and roll the dough to approximately 5 mm.
• Cut the stars with a star shaped (yes, indeed!) cookie cutter.
• Put the stars on the lined baking sheet.
• Now get the reserved meringue from earlier. You might have to stir it a bit so it becomes a smooth mix. You also might want to add some more lemon juice. It's a matter of taste.
• Now brush the cookies with the topping and bake them for about 8 minutes.
• Cool on the baking sheet.
• Store in an air-tight tin.
• The cookies should keep for about two weeks.