Traditional and simple recipe favourites
Gingerbread cookies
Preparation time: approx. 45 minutes (plus resting and baking time)
Makes approx. 50 cookies
275 g syrup
20 g sugar syrup
550 g honey
150 g brown sugar
1 kg plain flour
1 tbsp gingerbread spices
1 tsp ground aniseed
15 g bicarbonate of soda
45 g candied orange peel, chopped
45 g candied lemon peel
2 pinches of potash
1 egg
90 g raisins
55 g candied sugar, crushed
250 g potato starch
flour, for dusting the work surface
fat, for greasing the baking trays
1 Mix the two syrups with 3 tablespoons of water. Add the honey and brown sugar, then heat the mixture until the sugar has completely dissolved. Leave to cool.
2 Combine the flour, spices, bicarbonate of soda, candied orange and lemon peel, then add to the lukewarm syrup mixture.
3 Add the potash mixed with a 1½ tablespoons of water, then stir the egg, raisins and candied sugar into the mixture. Using your hands, knead the ingredients into a smooth dough. Cover and leave to rest for 12 hours.
4 Pre-heat the oven to 200 °C (Gas Mark 6, fan oven 180 °C). Tip the dough onto a floured work surface and knead again. Roll out to a thickness of 1 cm. Cut out cookie shapes in whichever form or shape you choose, then lay the cookies on greased baking trays and bake in the oven for approx. 18 minutes.
5 Toast the potato starch in an oven heated to 160 °C (Gas Mark 3, fan oven 140 °C) until light golden, then set aside to cool. Stir the starch into 1 litre of cold water and bring to a boil. Simmer until the mixture slides away from the sides of the pan. Spread this mixture over the cookies to create a lovely glaze.
Bethmännchen
German Christmas cookies
Preparation time: approx. 45 minutes (plus chilling and baking time)
Makes approx. 70 cookies
For the cookie dough:
125 g plain flour
1 egg yolk
50 g caster sugar
1 pinch of salt
100 g soft butter
For the topping:
500 g raw marzipan (almond paste)
2 eggs
160 g icing sugar
130 g ground almonds
55 g plain flour
6 drops of rose water
Also:
120 g peeled, whole almonds
flour, for dusting the work surface
1 Quickly knead all the ingredients together into an even dough, then shape into a ball. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2 Roughly chop the raw marzipan, separate the eggs and sift the icing sugar. Using your hands, knead together the almond paste, icing sugar, ground almonds, flour, egg whites and rose water. Cover the mixture and chill in the refrigerator for approx. 1 hour.
3 Pre-heat the oven to 150 °C (Gas Mark 2, fan oven 130 °C). On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the cookie dough to approx. 3 mm thick, then, using cookie cutters, cut out 70 small, round cookie shapes. Place on baking trays lined with baking paper.
4 Shape the marzipan into 70 small balls. Slice the almonds in half lengthwise and arrange 3 almond halves pointing upwards around the sides of each ball, pressing them firmly into the ball. Lightly beat the egg yolks and 2 tablespoons of water and brush each cookie base with the egg mixture. Place a marzipan ball onto each cookie base and lightly brush with egg mixture. Bake for approx. 15 minutes in a pre-heated oven. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Butter cookies
Preparation time: approx. 30 minutes (plus resting and baking time)
Makes 40 cookies
250 g butter
1 egg
125 g sugar
2 tsp vanilla sugar
225 g plain flour
125 g cornflour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp double cream
cocoa, for dusting
flour, for dusting the work surface
fat, for greasing the baking sheets
1 Beat the butter, egg, sugar and vanilla sugar together with the hand-mixer until frothy and creamy. Mix the flour, cornflour and baking powder together, add to the egg mixture along with the cream and knead the ingredients into a smooth dough. Wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest for 1 hour.
2 Pre-heat the oven to 175 °C (Gas Mark 3-4, fan oven 150 °C). On a floured work surface, roll out the cookie dough to a thickness of approx. 3 mm. Using the side of a grater, press a pattern into the dough, then cut out cookie shapes.
3 Arrange the cookies on 2 greased baking sheets. Bake in the oven for approx. 12-15 minutes. Dust with cocoa before serving.
Edible tree decorations
Preparation time: approx. 1 hour (plus chilling and baking time)
Makes 40 cookies
125 g plain flour
1 egg yolk
50 g caster sugar
1 pinch of salt
100 g soft butter
1 tsp honey
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
100 g icing sugar
sugar beads and sugar heart decorations
icing pens with glitter
silver ribbon, for hanging
1 Sift the flour onto the work surface and press a hollow in the centre. Place the egg yolk, sugar, salt, soft butter, chopped into small pieces, and spices in the depression. Quickly mix all the ingredients into an even dough and shape into a ball. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill for approx. 2 hours in the refrigerator.
2 Pre-heat the oven to 200 °C (Gas mark 6, fan oven 180 °C). On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of approx. 4 mm. Cut out stars, Christmas trees and angel shapes until the cookie dough is all used up.
3 Arrange the cookies on baking sheets lined with baking paper. Using a straw, poke a hole through each cookie. Bake for 10 minutes and then leave to cool on a wire rack.
4 Mix the icing sugar with 2-3 tablespoons of water to make a smooth icing. Use this to stick on the sugar beads and hearts. Use the icing pens to decorate the cookies and stick on the sugar decorations. Leave to dry completely.
5 Loop a piece of silver ribbon through the hole in each cookie, knotting the ends together firmly.
Sour cream rings with cinnamon
Preparation time: approx. 25 minutes (plus chilling and baking time)
Makes 60 rings
250 g butter
8 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp soured cream
500 g plain flour
4 egg yolks
1 tsp cinnamon
melted butter, for brushing
flour, for dusting the work surface
1 Quickly knead together the butter, 4 tablespoons of the sugar, soured cream, flour and egg yolks to form a smooth, shortcrust pastry, then chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
2 Pre-heat the oven to 180 °C (Gas Mark 4, fan oven 150 °C) with top and bottom heat. Roll out the dough on a floured work surface to a thickness of approx. 3 mm, then cut out circles (approx. 5 cm in diameter). Push a hole through the centre of each one to make a ring.
3 Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Mix the remaining sugar with the cinnamon. Brush the cookies with a little melted butter, then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Bake in the oven for approx. 15 minutes.
Oat cookies
with raisins
Preparation time: approx. 30 minutes (plus baking time)
Makes 45 cookies
300 g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
250 g soft butter
300 g sugar
2 tsp vanilla sugar
3 tbsp sugar beet syrup
2 eggs
300 g fine oat flakes
160 g non-sulphurised raisins
2 tbsp orange juice
1 Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Add the bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt and mix together well.
2 In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Stirring constantly, trickle in the sugar and vanilla sugar, then add the sugar beet syrup. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing in each one thoroughly. Gradually add the flour mixture to the batter and mix all the ingredients into a smooth dough. Add the oat flakes, raisins and orange juice, stirring in carefully using a large spoon.
3 Pre-heat the oven to 180 °C (Gas Mark 4, fan oven 160 °C). Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Shape the dough into balls measuring approx. 4 cm in diameter. Arrange these on the baking sheet approx. 8 cm apart. Bake the cookies on the middle shelf of the oven for approx. 12 minutes until golden brown. Leave the cookies to cool on the baking sheet.
Heidesand shortbread cookies
Preparation time: approx. 15 minutes (plus chilling and baking time)
Makes 80 cookies
300 g soft butter
200 g sugar
2 tsp vanilla sugar
1 tsp ground vanilla
1 pinch of salt
550 g plain flour
flour, for dusting the work surface
fat, for greasing the baking sheet
1 Melt the butter in a saucepan until it has browned slightly. Then, pour into a bowl and leave to cool. Next, beat the sugar, vanilla sugar, ground vanilla and salt together until light and frothy. Sift the flour over the mixture and knead all the ingredients together by hand to form a smooth dough.
2 Shape the dough into rolls approx. 4 cm in diameter. Wrap the rolls in clingfilm and allow to chill in the refrigerator for approx. 3...
