Cookie swaps are just one of the many fun events to attend during the holiday season. This year, instead of making your usual cookies, try one of these European-style recipes—each a favorite Christmas cookie in its home country. Be the envy of the party and watch your treats disappear.
German crescent cookies
Your family will love this buttery cookie made with ground nuts and covered with powdered vanilla sugar.
Photo by Karen Herman
GERMAN CRESCENT COOKIES
MAKES 3–4 DOZEN
A German crescent is a buttery cookie made with ground nuts and covered with powdered vanilla sugar.
2 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch, kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
1½ cups powdered sugar, sifted and divided
¾ cup ground hazelnuts, walnuts or almonds
½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped out
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar (optional)
In the bowl of a stand mixer, using a paddle attachment, combine the flour, salt, butter, ¾ cup powdered sugar, ground nuts and vanilla seeds. Starting out on a lower speed—so flour does not fly all over the kitchen—mix until a crumbly dough forms (about 2 minutes), gradually increasing the speed to medium. Using your hands, press the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking or cookie sheets with parchment paper. Working quickly, pinch off about a teaspoon of dough and roll between palms to ½-inch thickness and 2 to 3 inches long. Taper the ends, form into a crescent shape and place on baking sheet. The crescents do not have to be perfect but try to make them even in size. Bake 13–15 minutes until edges are golden. Do not brown.
While cookies are baking, combine remaining powdered sugar and vanilla sugar in a small bowl. After removing cookies from oven, sprinkle with sugar mixture while cookies are hot. Allow to cool completely and then sprinkle generously again.
Austrian Chocolate Almond Linzer Cookies
Austrian chocolate almond Linzer cookies
This holiday treat is a triple threat—cookie on the bottom, delicious filling in the middle and another cookie on the top.
Photo by Karen Herman
MAKES 3–4 DOZEN
An Austrian Linzer is layered treat with a cookie on the bottom and a middle layer of jam, chocolate or other filling, all topped by a second cookie with a hole or decorative pattern cut in the center. This recipe will require two different sizes of cookie cutters.
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 cup seedless raspberry jam, or your favorite
In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and powdered sugar, starting on low speed and gradually increasing to medium speed. Add the egg and almond extract and beat until blended. Reduce speed and gradually add the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking or cookie sheets with parchment paper. On a clean, flat surface dusted with cocoa powder, roll out one half of the dough to ¼-inch thickness. (If necessary, sprinkle dough lightly with cocoa powder to prevent it from sticking to the rolling pin.) Keep remaining dough chilled until ready to use.
Cut the dough using the larger cookie cutter (about 2 inches wide) and place on baking sheets. Using a smaller cutter, cut out the center of each cookie. Discard centers or save to rework and make additional cookies. Roll out the second half of the dough and cut with the larger cutter only. Place on baking sheets. Bake 9–10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a rack.
Spread about ½ to ¾ teaspoon of jam on the solid cookies and cover with the cutout cookies. Let stand for several hours to set.
Czech Kolache Cookies
Czech kolache cookies
Customize this recipe by filling the center of this holiday treat with your favorite jam.
Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
MAKES 4–5 DOZEN
A kolache is a Czech pastry or cookie that is filled in the indented center with jam or meats.
Cookies
2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 cups all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons whipping or heavy cream
Powdered sugar, for rolling out cookies
1 cup seedless apricot jam
Glaze
½ cup powdered sugar
4 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1–2 tablespoons milk, if needed
In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment on medium speed, cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Lower speed and beat in flour and cream until well blended. Divide into four portions, wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 F. On a clean, flat surface dusted with powdered sugar, roll out one portion of cookie dough at a time into ¼-inch thickness. (If necessary, sprinkle dough lightly with flour to prevent it from sticking to the rolling pin.) Cut out using a 2-inch cookie cutter and place on ungreased baking or cookie sheets, 1–2 inches apart. Make a small indentation in the center of cookies using your fingertip. Fill each indentation with a small amount of jam. Do not overfill or it will run off onto the baking sheet. Repeat with other three portions of dough. Bake 15–18 minutes until lightly brown, then cool on racks.
In a medium bowl, mix powdered sugar, cream cheese and vanilla to make glaze. Using a hand mixer, blend until smooth. If too thick, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time. If too thin, add additional powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, until you achieve the desired consistency. Put into a small piping bag with a very small piping tip; or into a small ziplock and snip off one of the corners. Pipe onto cookies.
French Lemon Sables
French lemon sable cookies
Frosted or plain, this classic shortbread cookie recipe is très magnifique!
Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
MAKES 2-3 DOZEN
A Sable is a French shortbread cookie that may or may not be frosted.
Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze
2½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
4–6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon dried lavender (crushed) or dried rosemary (optional)
In a medium bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the egg, lemon zest and vanilla and beat until blended. Reduce speed and gradually add the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Form into a flattened disk and wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking or cookie sheets with parchment paper. On a clean, flat surface dusted lightly with flour, roll out dough to ¼-inch thickness. (If necessary, sprinkle dough lightly with flour to prevent it from sticking to the rolling pin.) Cut out cookies using a 2-inch cookie cutter (or your desired size) and place on baking sheets. Bake for 15–17 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
In a small bowl, add the powdered sugar and stir in the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency. It should be thick but not stiff. Then stir in the zest and lavender. Using the back of a small spoon, spread the glaze on the surface of the cookies. Allow to set before serving.
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Tips & techniques
True oven temperatures. You can’t always trust your oven temperature setting to be accurate. Experience has taught me that oven temps can be off by as much as 30 degrees. I suggest a backup oven thermometer as a fail-safe measure. Always check this backup to confirm the temperature before placing items in the oven, and replace the backup yearly.
Which comes first? In recipes calling for lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice, always zest the lemon first before juicing it.
How to make vanilla sugar. Make vanilla-flavored sugar by putting a scraped vanilla bean in a mason jar filled with sugar. Close the lid tightly and store in a cool dry place for about a week. Use in baked goods, desserts, beverages and savory dishes.
What if you don’t have parchment paper? Substitute with wax paper, or lightly coat your cookie or baking sheet with cooking spray.
Sifting for success. Always sift powdered sugar (also known as confectioners’ sugar) to remove lumps before adding it to other ingredients. This will result in a smoother batter or glaze.
Tips for working with dough
- When rolling out dough, if it becomes sticky and starts to cling to the rolling pin, dust both dough and rolling pin with additional flour.
- The yield for cookies will vary, depending on the size of the cookie cutter.
- If you become distracted while rolling out dough, rewrap it and return it to the refrigerator until you are ready to complete the task.
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