German Almond Cookies Food

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.

GERMAN ALMOND COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar and almond paste. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add flour and mix well., Roll into 1-in. balls and place 2 in. on ungreased baking sheets; flatten with a fork. Sprinkle with almonds and sprinkles if desired. Bake at 350° for 13-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

VANILLEKIPFERLN (GERMAN ALMOND CRESCENT COOKIES)

Steps:

• Cut the vanilla beans lenthwise and scrape out the cream.
• Mix the vanilla cream together with the sugar.
• Sift flour and add salt, cut in butter, 70g of the homemade vanilla sugar and the almonds.
• Work to form a smooth dough.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 175°C or 350°F (only approx.) Roll the dough into a long sausage, approximately 1 cm (1/2") thick.
• Cut off every 7 cm (3") and bend to form a half-moon.
• Bake on a parchment paper lined baking sheet at 175°C for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
• Carefully remove the Kipferln from the baking sheet.
• While still warm roll in remaining vanilla sugar.
• Let cool.
• Sprinkle with sifted icing sugar.
• (opt.).

MANDELMAKRONEN (ALMOND MERINGUES)

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 teaspoon at a time, while continuing to beat at high speed. Combine ground almonds and cinnamon in a bowl and fold into the egg white mixture with a spatula. Add more ground almonds if mixture is too runny.
• Use 2 teaspoons to place little mounds of almond mixture 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned and baked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully remove from baking sheets and cool on wire racks.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth.
• Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour mixture. Add coconut, chocolate and pecans and mix to just combine.
• Portion the dough in 2 tablespoon scoops and roll them into balls. Place them on parchment-lined baking sheets, at least 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies until dry on top but still soft in the center, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately tap the sheets against a work surface to deflate them slightly. Let the cookies sit on the sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.