Christmas cookie recipes
Christmas cookie recipes
Tipps from the Zell am See-Kaprun team
The recipes of grandmas and moms around the world rarely come with precise measurements. Instead of exact temperatures or times, you’ll often get answers like, “Bake it until it’s done,” or, “Just a bit, until the mixture feels right,” or, “You know, every oven is different – just keep an eye on it.” And yet: These recipes are often the best! After a few tries, they also turn out beautifully in our kitchens. We want to share these treasures and recipes from Zell am See-Kaprun with you – along with the most important ingredient to make any baked good perfect: Take your time and bake with love. That’s the secret to guaranteed deliciousness!
Birgit's Tip: Classic Linzer Cookies
"They’re not my favorite cookies, but they’re my loved ones’ favorites." For a little variation, I used part spelt flour in addition to classic wheat flour.
Ingredients:
- 200 g powdered sugar
- 400 g butter
- 600 g flour
- 2 tbsp vanilla sugar
- 2 eggs
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 100 g jam for spreading
Instructions:
- Shortcrust pastry: Quickly knead powdered sugar, butter, flour, eggs, vanilla sugar, and lemon zest into a smooth dough. Let it rest in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Roll out the dough to about 3 mm thickness and cut out cookies using your desired cookie cutter. For half of the dough, cut out cookies with holes; for the other half, without holes.
- Bake at 180°C for about 10 minutes. Spread strained jam on the cookies without holes and pair them with the cookies with holes.
Magdalena's Tip: Mom's Gingerbread
Ingredients:
- 1 kg wheat or rye flour
- 1 kg cane sugar
- 250 g honey
- 8 large eggs
- A pinch of cinnamon
- 50 g candied orange peel
- 20 g baking soda
- A pinch of vanilla sugar
For decoration:
- 1–2 eggs + a splash of milk
- Almonds, sprinkles, candied cherries, walnuts, or similar
Instructions:
- Prepare the dough using the listed ingredients in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer.
- Divide the dough into two equal portions and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, roll out the dough on a floured surface to about 5 mm thickness and cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Brush the cookies with an egg-milk mixture.
- Bake at 160°C top and bottom heat for about 8 minutes. For two trays at once, use convection.
This recipe is great for families since the dough is sturdy and doesn’t easily break. Kids can cut out their favorite shapes and help decorate.
Anna-Sophie’s Tip: Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients:
- 250 g flour
- 125 g butter
- 62 g powdered sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 packet of vanilla sugar
- 200 g strained jam
Instructions:
- Bring all ingredients to room temperature and knead into a dough.
- Cut off portions, roll into long sticks with a 2 cm diameter, and then cut into small pieces to form balls.
- Place the balls with some distance on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Use a wooden stick or the end of a floured pencil to press a deep hole into each ball.
- Bake at 160°C convection until firm and easy to remove from the tray. Let the cookies cool completely.
- Warm the jam slightly and fill it into a piping bag with a round tip. Fill the holes in the cookies with the jam and let it dry.
Anna-Sophie’s Tip: Coconut Kisses
1st mixture:
- 100 g butter (room temperature)
- 75 g powdered sugar
- 1 packet of vanilla sugar
- A pinch of salt
- Whisk the soft butter with the other ingredients until fluffy.
2nd mixture:
- 125 ml egg whites
- 75 g sugar
- 125 g coconut oil
- 75 g flour
- Whip the egg whites stiff, gradually adding the sugar.
- Combine the two mixtures, then gently fold in the coconut oil and flour.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and use a piping bag with a round tip to pipe small mounds.
- Bake at 160°C convection until firm and slightly golden at the tips.
Have fun baking and enjoying!
