German Christmas Cookies Recipes

BERLINER BROT (GERMAN CHRISTMAS COOKIE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 1/2 x 13-inch baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
• Cream together sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and mix until just blended.
• Mix together flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder, and cloves in a separate bowl.
• Add flour mixture to the wet mixture, and mix until just blended. Add hazelnuts and mix again until just blended. The mixture should have the consistency of a smooth dough.
• Transfer dough onto the prepared baking sheet and smooth with a rolling pin into all the corners.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cookie sheet has set, about 20 minutes. Cut into squares while still warm.
• Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl and brush icing over the cooling bars.

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.

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.