Berliner Kranzer Recipe 55 Food

OMA'S BERLINER KRANSER (GERMAN BUTTER KNOT COOKIES)

Steps:

• Beat butter for 30 seconds with a hand mixer or a stand mixer.
• Add powdered sugar and beat until fluffy.
• Beat in egg yolk and vanilla.
• Stir in the flour.
• Cover and chill dough for one hour.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Work with a small amount of dough at a time and keep the remainder chilled until needed.
• Using one tablespoon of dough for each cookie, roll into a 6 inch rope.
• Shape each rope into a wreath, then overlap the dough about 1 inch from the ends.
• Brush with the egg white and then sprinkle with the sugar.
• Place cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden.
• Cool cookies for a minute on the pan and then remove to a wire rack.

BERLINER KRANZER

Steps:

• Cream together 1 cup sugar with butter or margarine, and shortening. Beat in 2 eggs and add orange peel.
• Sift flour and gradually blend into sugar mixture. Dough should hold together and not be crumbly.
• Take a walnut sized piece of dough, and roll in palms of hand to create a 4 to 6 inch rope. Bring ends together to form a circle, and fold ends over each other. Brush with a mixture made from beaten egg white and 2 teaspoons sugar; this makes a glossy finish. Add green citron slices for "leaves" and 1/2 red citron cherry for" berry" - use to decorate at the knot.
• Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) on ungreased cookie sheets for 10 to 12 minutes. Bake only until cookies are light brown on bottom - just barely baked.