Christian
December 12, 2011
5 min read
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Once the days get shorter and advent season has arrived, the bakers among us will dig out our favorite Swiss Christmas cookie recipes.
One of my favorite things of the holiday season is Christmas baking. There are so many delicious desserts to bake, from tasty pies to Christmas cookies. In Swiss German dialect, the biscuits are lovingly called Guetzli, Guetsli, or Chrömli.
While some cookies can be whisked up in no time, others require more patience. Here is a selection of favorite Swiss Christmas cookie recipes with one thing in common: these cookies need air time. That is, time for the dough to rest before baking. One thing to watch out for is people eating them before they’re baked. My dad is infamous for making these unbaked cookies disappear...
Swiss Christmas cookie recipes that require air time:
Zimtsterne Cinnamon Stars
Makes 50 cookies
3 fresh egg whites (100 g/3.5 oz)
pinch of salt
250 g (9 oz) confectioner's sugar
1.5 tablespoons of cinnamon
0.5 tablespoon of kirsch or lemon juice
350 g (12 oz) ground almonds
Zimtstern is not only the name of a skateboard fashion company, but it is the best Swiss Christmas cookie there is. Interestingly, this is also a very common cookie in German Jewish culture where it is called Erste Sternen and is served at the meal following Yom Kippur.
Instructions:
1. Stir white of egg and salt in a bowl until it is really stiff.
2. Add confectioner's sugar, stir until ingredients are evenly distributed. Put 1dl (0.4cups) aside for the frosting.
3. Add cinnamon, kirsch (or lemon juice) and almonds, knead to a soft dough.
4. Roll out dough on a flat surface (it may be slightly covered with sugar), approximately 7mm (0.3in) thick. Put out stars or other shapes and put them on a baking sheet covered with baking paper.
5. Let them rest for about 5 to 6hours or over night in a dry place.
6. Carefully sweep the cookies with the frosting set aside in step 2.
7. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees C.
8. Bake for about 3 to 5minutes in the center of the pre-heated oven.
9. Let cool completely before serving.
Brunsli, or Basler Brunsli
Makes 50 cookies
150 g (5 oz) sugar
pinch of salt
250 g (9 oz) ground almonds
0.25 tea spoons of cinnamon
pinch of powdered clove
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
2 tablespoons of flour
2 fresh egg whites (70 g/2.5 oz)
100 g (3.5 oz) bitter chocolate, i.e. Felchlin
2 tea spoons of kirsch
Right behind Zimtsterne are Brunsli, another one of my favorite Christmas cookies. One thing you’ll notice with all three cookies recipes is that you need to let them rest overnight before baking them. With Brunsli, this extra time makes the cookie that much better.
Instructions:
1. Mix sugar, salt, almonds, cinnamon, powdered clove, cocoa powder and flour in a bowl.
2. Add white of egg and stir until ingredients are evenly distributed.
3. Cut chocolate in real small pieces, pour hot water over the chocolate, let it rest for about 5 minutes. Then, pour off all the water except about half a tablespoon, stir until even. Now immediately proceed with the next step.
4. Add melted chocolate from the previous step and the kirsch, knead to a soft dough.
5. Roll out dough on a flat surface (it may be slightly covered with sugar), approximately 10 mm (0.4 in) thick. Put out different shapes and put them on a baking sheet covered with baking paper.
6. Let them rest for about 5 to 6 hours or over night in a dry place.
7. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees C.
8. Bake for about 4 to 6 minutes in the center of the pre-heated oven.
9. Let the rack cool completely before serving the cookies.
Chräbeli
Makes 60 cookies
4 eggs
450 g (16 oz) confectioner's sugar
pinch of salt
1.5 tablespoons of anise
1 tablespoon of kirsch
550 to 600 g (19-21 oz) flour
Chräbeli cookies are for those who are not nuts about nuts but who like absinthe, sambuca, and ouzo. These are special cookies in terms of their shape, but they go especially well with coffee. When you bake Chräbeli and they start to lift slightly on the bottom, it is said that they are growing feet. This is a good sign, no need to worry!
Instructions:
1. Put eggs, confectioner's sugar, salt, anise and kirsch in a bowl and stir about 5 minutes until well mixed.
2. Add in flour and mix it into a dough.
3. Form rolls of about 1.5 cm (0.6 in) diameter and cut in pieces of about 5 cm (2 in) length. Cut in each piece about 3 times slightly angular and bend them slightly.
4. Slightly grease baking sheets and put the rolls onto it to dry. Do not use baking paper sheets. Do not move the pieces.
5. Let them dry for 24 to 48 hours at room temperature. Make sure there is no draft.
6. Preheat the oven to 140 degrees C.
7. Bake for about 25 minutes in the lower part of the pre-heated oven. Keep the oven door slightly open.
8. Finally, let the cookies cool down, then remove them from the baking sheet using a spatula.
So, there you have it: three types of very Swiss Christmas cookies to get working on. If you prepare the dough on Friday evening after work, you’ll be able to bake them by Saturday afternoon, and enjoy them on Sunday! Yes, good things come to those who wait, as even these Swiss cookie recipes prove.
Check out even more Swiss Christmas cookie recipes:
5 Swiss cookie recipes you’ve probably never baked
“Spitzbuebe” are my favorite Swiss Christmas cookies, and here’s the recipe
- Swiss winter foods guide - from savory to sweet
- Mailänderli recipe with step-by-step instructions
- 7 Swiss winter drinks you need to try
- Clever Swiss cheese recipes
- Fondue chinoise in Switzerland
- Roasted chestnuts in Switzerland
- 10 typical Swiss carnival foods explained
- Baking Recipe: Basler Fastenwähe
- Baking Recipe: Three Kings Cake
Swiss Christmas Cookies: Recipes and History
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