Authentic Bethmännchen - Marzipan Almond Cookies

Jump to Recipe

If you like marzipan you will love Bethmännchen. Frankfurter Bethmännchen, as these cookies are known in Germany have a long tradition and in Frankfurt am Main (where grew up) they will always be on any coffee and cake spread. They are especially popular during advent and can be found in most Christmas markets. Keep an eye out for them!

A glas cake platter with Frankfurter Bethmännchen placed on top.

They are different from the marzipan cookies recipe that I also have on my website. These cookies have harder outside and a soft chewy inside, that is flavoured with a hint of rosewater (affiliate link) and orange liquor.

I grew up near Frankfurt and these marzipan almond cookies are intrinsically linked to my childhood. Here are more typical Frankfurt Recipes:

What are Frankfurter Bethmännchen?

Bethmännchen is specilialty from Frankfurt am Main. It's a cookie in the shape of a ball made from marzipan, icing /confectioners sugar, almonds and rosewater (affiliate link). You decorate them with blanched almonds and glaze them with egg wash before being baked.

The recipe is a variation of another famous Frankfurter recipe: Frankfurter Brenten.

History

According to the legend, the history of the Bethmännchen cookies started in 1838 in the home of the banker's family von Bethmann. It was there that this delicacy was served for the first time. It was invented by the French cook who used ground almonds (affiliate link), fine sugar, rosewater (affiliate link) and egg white. He decorated them with four almonds to represent the sons of the family: Moritz, Karl, Alexander and Heinrich. Unfortunately, Heinrich died young, so that after that only three almonds were used.

The delicacy soon spread across the world when in 1863 Moritz von Bethmann served it to his esteemed guest, including the Emporer Franz Joseph from Austria.

The Bethmann Bank and family still exist, and my father interviewed the Freiherr von Bethmann in the 1990s. Von Bethmann brought Bethmännchen as a present!

Frankfurter Bethmännchen on a chopping board, which is placed on a grey napkin.

How to make Frankfurter Bethmännchen

Ingredients

200 g raw marzipan
80 g confectioners/icing sugar
80 g ground almonds (affiliate link)
1 egg white
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon rosewater (affiliate link)
1 tablespoon orange liqueur (affiliate link) (you can substiute with Amaretto (affiliate link) if you prefer)
4 tablespoons milk

Bethmännchen Recipe Steps

Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
Add a little water (about 500 ml into a saucepan and add the almonds to it. Bring the water to a boil for no longer then 2 minutes. Then quickly strain the almonds. You will find that the skin just slips off the nuts. With a knife (now is the best time as they are softend) slice the almonds in half lengthwise. Spread them on a paper towel to dry.
Separate the egg and place the egg yolk and egg white into separate bowls. Place the egg yolk in the fridge until needed.
Sieve the icing /confections sugar to avoid any lumps. Roughly chop the marzipan in smaller pieces. Mix with the sugar, ground almonds (affiliate link), egg white, liquer and knead to a homogenous dough.

collage of 4 pictures for the bethmännchen recipe: 1. Almonds being boiled in saucepan. 2. Almonds being skinned. 3. Almonds being halfed with a knife. 4. Mazipan and icing sugar are being kneaded into a dough

Next form the dough into an even roll and with a knife cut of equally size pieces. (I weighted them to ensure that they were equal and for me they were roughly 20 g each).
Form the dough pieces into balls and place them on the baking tray. (My balls had a rough 3 cm diameter)
Press three almond halfs into each ball.
Leave the cookies to dry for at least an hour (if you like overnight).
Now mix the milk and egg yolks. Apply the egg wash with a pastry brush (affiliate link) on the cookies. I like to also apply a further tablespoon or rosewater (affiliate link) or orange liqueur (affiliate link) onto the cookies before baking.
Preheat your oven to 170°C or 338°F top to bottom heat and bake your cookies for approximatley 15 minutes.
Leave to cool. If desired you can dust them with icing sugar before serving.

a collage of 4 images. 1. marzipan being cut into pieces. 2 Marzipan being rolled into balls. 3. marzipan being brushed with egg wash

Recipe Variations

There are not one recipe for these iconic Frankfurter cookies but every Frankfurt family has their own. Here are some ways you can adapt the recipe:

without egg - to make vegan Bethmännchen simply omit the egg in the dough. Instead of coating the cookie with egg wash you can brush it with a little lemon juice and (soya, oak or almond) milk instead. Naturally the bethmännchen are without butter.
without flour - You do not have to use the flour in the recipe. Lots of recipes don't but I like adding it for the consistency and flavour. (Otherwise I think it gets to sweet).
without rosewater (affiliate link) - You do not have to add the rosewater (affiliate link) into the dough nor brush with it. It is traditional to use rosewater (affiliate link) but not obligartory.
non-alcoholic bethmännchen - If you do not want to use liquor, it is fine. For me the best liquors are orange liqueur (affiliate link) or amaretto (affiliate link). But you can leave it out.

Where to buy Bethmännchen in Frankfurt

If you look to buy Bethmännchen in Frankfurt you do not have to look very hard. Any Kontioreu. Examples are the Kleinmarkthalle (an all-year market hall) in the old part of Frankfurt. There you will find most delicacies.

Alternativley head to the Konditorei Condit Conteur or the Cafe Goldene Waage, which are both in the city center.

Bethmännchen Marzipan Almon Cookies on a chopping bord. In the background a green wreath with a canle in the middle

Troubleshooting

My dough is too sticky - add a little flour to the dough..
The dough is too dry - add another spoon of rosewater (affiliate link) to your dough
My bethmännchen are too hard - you probably baked them for too long. But do not worry, just add a slice of apple to the cookie tin (affiliate link) when storing the cookies. This should soften them again.

Storage Instructions

These traditional cookies from Frankfurt will stay fresh for up to 4 weeks. It is important that you leave them too cool entirely before placing them in a cookie tin (affiliate link).