German Spitzbuben Christmas Cookies
Delightful German cookies featuring a buttery, nutty flavor filled with sweet sour cherry jam, perfect for holiday festivities.
Servings: 24 cookies
Calories: 150kcal
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough
- 100 g macadamia nuts, almonds, or hazelnuts Toast these nuts before adding.
- 300 g sifted flour
- 150 g powdered sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 200 g butter, cooled Grated into the mixture.
- 1 ea egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Filling
- 200 g sour cherry jam Mixed with liqueur for filling.
- 1 tbsp rum, vodka, or schnapps Choose your favorite liqueur.
- 2 tbsp sugar For Black Forest filling.
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder For Black Forest filling.
- 1 to 2 tbsp kirsch For Black Forest filling.
Instructions
Preparation
- Toast the nuts in a pan without any oil until golden and fragrant, then let them cool.
- In a large bowl, mix the sifted flour and powdered sugar. Process the cooled nuts into small pieces and combine with the flour mixture.
- Grate the cooled butter into the dry mixture, add the egg and vanilla extract, and mix until clumps form.
- Knead the dough into a ball, divide it in two, shape into flat discs, wrap in cling film, and chill for at least 2 hours.
Baking
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (375°F) and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll out the chilled dough to about 4 mm thick, cut out shapes, and freeze them for a few minutes.
- Bake for 8 to 9 minutes until lightly golden. Let cool on a wire rack.
Assembling
- Mix the sour cherry jam with liqueur and spread it on half of the cookies.
- Dust the tops of the remaining cookies with powdered sugar and sandwich them over the jam-filled cookies.
- Fill the centers with extra jam.
Black Forest Variation
- For a variation, boil the jam with sugar and cocoa powder, then stir in kirsch.
Notes
Store in an airtight container for freshness. These cookies can be frozen; layer them with parchment paper to avoid sticking.