How to Make Authentic Spitzbuben Cookies

5 from 9 votes

How to Make Authentic Spitzbuben Cookies

Don't be intimidated by these beautiful German jam cookies—they're easier to make than you think! Light, buttery hazelnut shortbread filled with tart jam creates a melt-in-your-mouth Christmas cookie that everyone will love.

Course Dessert

Cuisine German

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Resting Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings cookies

Calories 244kcal

Author by Marita Sinden

Equipment

silicon baking mat optional - but it prevents the dough sticking to the work surfaces
Rolling Pin
Rolling Pin Guides optional, but they make sure that your dough is rolled out in an even thickness.
Christmas Cookie Cutters
Linzer Cookie Cutters
Piping Bag

Ingredients

350 g unsalted butter
250 g granulated sugar
1 egg yolk from an medium egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
500 g all-purpose flour (Germany 405,UK plain flour, USA all-purpose)
1 pinch salt
150 g ground hazelnut can be subsituted with ground almonds

To decorate

1 jar red jam about 200 gr /7 oz. Any flavour: red currant (Traditional), cherry, plum, etc
50 g powdered sugar

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

In a large bowl, work the cold butter, sugar, and salt together with your hands until well combined—this prevents butter lumps. Mix in the egg yolk and vanilla extract.
350 g unsalted butter , 250 g granulated sugar , 1 pinch salt , 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, ground hazelnuts, and a pinch of salt. Add to the butter mixture and knead until a smooth dough forms. Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
500 g all-purpose flour, 150 g ground hazelnut , 1 egg yolk
Preheat your oven to 350°F/180°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Divide the dough in half. Roll each portion to ⅛-inch (3 mm) thickness on a lightly floured surface.
Using cookie cutters, cut equal numbers of tops and bottoms. For the tops, use a linzer cookie cutter or cut a small hole in the center with a smaller cutter or round piping tip.
Place tops on one baking sheet and bottoms on another. Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden. Let cool completely on the baking sheets.
Bake for around 6-10 minutes. The cookies should be golden brown. Leave them to cool.
If your jam is thick, warm it gently in a saucepan until spreadable. For chunky jam, strain through a fine-mesh sieve for smoother results.
Spread jam on the bottom cookies using a spoon or piping bag, leaving about ⅛-inch (2-3 mm) border around the edges.
1 jar red jam
Dust the top cookies generously with powdered sugar, then gently place them over the jam-covered bottoms. Leave them to set for 10 minutes before serving.
50 g powdered sugar

Notes

I strongly advise you to check the step-to-step instruction pictures in the main post.

Expert Tips for Assembling the cookies

Ensure that you give the dough enough time to rest in the fridge. This will avoid the dough getting too warm and soft to work with.
Ideally, use cold hands and a cold surface when rolling to prevent the dough from getting too warm and soft.
If you find that the dough sticks to the work surface when rolling, cover the surface with some flour. A non-stick silicone mat can help in this case as well.
Wait until the cookies have completely cooled before assembling them. This will prevent them from breaking.

Can you make the dough ahead of time?

You can prepare the dough up to three days ahead. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to roll and cut them.

Storage Instructions

Store the cookies in an airtight container. In Germany, it is customary to store Christmas cookies in special cookie tins. If you store more than one Christmas cookie recipe in one tin, use baking parchment to separate them so their flavours don't mix up. They should last between 2-3 weeks. This way they will stay moist, soft and crumbly. You can store them for even longer if you leave the assembly for when you want to serve them.

In my opinion, the Spitzbuben tastes best the day after baking.

Nutrition