Best German Christmas Cookies Recipes

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.

PFEFFERNüSSE (GERMAN "PEPPER-NUT" CHRISTMAS COOKIES)

Steps:

• Combine white and brown sugars in a saucepan with honey, water, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and cayenne pepper. Place over medium heat and whisk until the sugars dissolve and it just starts to simmer, 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat and let cool for 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add salt, baking soda, heavy cream, and egg and whisk until thoroughly combined. Add flour and stir together with a wooden spoon until everything comes together as a dough.
• Transfer dough to a piece of plastic wrap. Press into a ball and wrap tightly. Place in the refrigerator and let rest for 1 to 2 days.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Remove dough from the refrigerator and scoop into rounded teaspoons. Roll each one into a smooth ball if desired, and place on a prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until cookies are perfectly dome-shaped with light golden brown bottoms, 9 to 10 minutes; don't overbake. Let cool on the pan all the way down to room temperature, 20 to 30 minutes.
• While the cookies are cooling, repeat Steps 5 and 6 to shape and bake the remaining cookies.
• Make icing by placing powdered sugar in a bowl. Stir in lemon juice, a few teaspoons at a time, until icing is very thick, but still slightly runny.
• Dip the top of each cooled cookie into the icing. Let it drip, then flip it over and place on a wire rack set over a piece of parchment paper and let harden.

LEBKUCHEN (GERMAN CHRISTMAS HONEY COOKIES)

Steps:

• Mix honey and molasses and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cool completely.
• Stir in brown sugar, egg, lemon juice and lemon rind.
• Sift together flour, baking soda and spices, then stir into the honey-molasses mix.
• Mix in the citron and chopped nuts, place the dough in the refrigerator and chill overnight.
• Roll out a small amount of dough at a time to 1/4 inch thick, keeping the rest in the fridge. You can either cut out oblong shapes about 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" or just cut out circle shapes about 2" in diameter.
• Place on a GREASED baking sheet about 1" apart.
• Place 3 almonds on top of each cookie in a flower shape, and place in a 400 deg oven for 10-12 min or until no imprint remains when touched lightly.
• While cookies bake, make glaze by boiling the water and sugar to 230 degrees - until it just barely begins to thread.
• Remove from heat and stir in confectioners sugar.
• Brush the hot glaze lightly over the cookies (if it gets grainy reheat slightly with a little water to thin again).

GERMAN ANISE CHRISTMAS COOKIES (SPRINGERLE)

Steps:

• Sift together the flour and baking powder, set aside. In a large bowl, whip the eggs and sugar until thick and light. Stir in the lemon zest and ground anise. Add the flour mixture, mix well. Cover and chill dough for about an hour.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/2 inch thickness. Traditionally, you would roll over the dough with a springerle rolling pin, but the dough can be cut into small shapes of any kind. Place cookies 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets, sprinkle with anise seed and leave out uncovered, overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake cookies for 25 to 30 minutes.

BETHMAENNCHEN (GERMAN MARZIPAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Knead marzipan well and divide into about forty 1 1/2-inch cubes of equal size. Roll each cube into a ball and shape into a round cylinder with a point.
• Push 3 halved almonds into each marzipan cylinder so the pointy sides of the almonds are facing the top.
• Beat egg white lightly in a cup and brush each cookie with egg white. Set onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated until the tops of the almonds are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Store in airtight containers.

EASY THREE-INGREDIENT GLUTEN-FREE GERMAN CHRISTMAS COCONUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Beat egg whites in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl until stiff peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue beating. Fold in coconut flakes with a spatula.
• Use 2 teaspoons to place little mounds of coconut mixture 2 inches apart onto the baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies. Allow to cool on baking sheet for a few minutes, then carefully transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.

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.

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.

GERMAN LINZER CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl, beat at medium speed butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy.
• 2. Add egg yolks, cream and vanilla. Beat 2 min until fluffy.
• 3. Gradually add flour with wooden spoon until well combined and dough is smooth.
• 4. Divide dough into 2 parts. Shape into 2 balls.
• 5. Refrigerate covered for 2 hours. Preheat oven 325 degrees.
• 6. It's important to roll VERY thin so the sandwich, in the end, is still delicate and thin.
• 7. Cut with cookie cutter and remove extra dough. Cut out a solid top and bottom for each cookie. Then cut a smaller shape into one of the cookie cutouts.
• 8. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the edges start to turn a light golden brown. Do not over bake.
• 9. Once cooled, spread jelly or preserve on one cookie, top with another. Powdered sugar on both sides. Makes about 3 dozen. She always doubles recipe.

OLD GERMAN-POLISH RECIPE FOR LEBKUCHEN (CHRISTMAS COOKIES)

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sugar and honey. Bring to a boil; let cool, about 10 minutes.
• Whisk flour, cinnamon, and cloves together in a bowl.
• Mix baking soda and water together in a bowl; stir into butter mixture. Mix in eggs. Add flour-spice mixture; stir until dough is combined. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Roll dough out; cut into cookies and place on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

GERMAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Combine first seven ingredients. In another bowl, combine eggs, butter, lemon peel and extract. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in almonds and citron., Shape into 1/2-in. balls and place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake until set, 8-10 minutes. Roll warm cookies in confectioners' sugar; cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

ELISEN LEBKUCHEN GERMAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. Grind unblanched almonds and hazelnuts. Cut citron and peels VERY fine. I buy my nuts already ground. If you do grind your nuts you should add some of the flour from the recipe to the nuts so it does not turn to a butter while grinding.
• 2. In a large mixing bowl stir together fruit and nut mixture, flour and spices. Set aside
• 3. In a small mixing bowl beat two egg whites until foamy; gradually beat in sugar just till soft peaks form (tips curl over). Fold into nut mixture; stir in apricot preserves.
• 4. Spoon batter by rounded spoonfull onto baking wafers and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Smooth tops with moistened finger.
• 5. Let stand at room temperature, uncovered for 2 hours to dry. Bake at 350 for 20 to 22 minutes.
• 6. Allow to cool and ice with chocolate or powdered sugar glaze.
• 7. NOTE: Bach Oblaten Rounds can be purchased at a German deli if you have access to one. Otherwise, I have purchased these on-line through Amazon and E-Bay. I'm sure there are other on-line grocers that sell them too. I should also note that they are edible for those that are not familiar with them. Also, the do come in different sizes. The smaller the round the more cookies it yields.
• 8. NOTE: Photos are from Google Images. I will post my own when I make them this Christmas.

GERMAN ANISE CHRISTMAS COOKIES (SPRINGERLE) RECIPE

Steps:

• Sift together the flour and baking powder, set aside. In a large bowl, whip the eggs and sugar until thick and light. Stir in the lemon zest and ground anise. Add the flour mixture, mix well. Cover and chill dough for about an hour. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/2 inch thickness. Traditionally, you would roll over the dough with a springerle rolling pin, but the dough can be cut into small shapes of any kind. Place cookies 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets, sprinkle with anise seed and leave out uncovered, overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake cookies for 25 to 30 minutes.

VANILLE HOERNCHEN (GERMAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES)

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients except powdered sugar together in a medium mixing bowl.
• Knead by hand until dough comes together.
• Don't over knead it.
• Seperate dough into about 30 segments.
• Form each segment into a half moon or cresent shape.
• Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Bake 10-12 minutes until they're golden colored.
• Roll the cookies in the powdered sugar while they're still hot or dust them with the powdered sugar while still on the cookie sheet.
• It is important that you do this while they're still warm or the sugar won't stick.
• Put on wire rack to cool.

LEBKUCHEN (TRADITIONAL GERMAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES)

Steps:

• Warm brown sugar, honey, molasses and shortening. Cool. Mix sour cream and baking soda, let stand awhile. Then add to cooled molasses mixture. Add rest of ingredients to make dough. Let rest overnight in a cool place. Roll out 1/4 inch thick, using a round cutter or small glass to cut out. Dough is sticky. Do not add extra flour, just use enough for rolling out. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Frost with powdered sugar frosting, use half water and half lemon juice. Store in airtight container, will keep several months. Improves with age