Haselnussplätzchen

(Hazelnut Cookies)

For many German working mothers, it is still very important to find the time to bake "from scratch." This recipe comes from a working mother who likes not just the cookies’ taste, but the recipe’s versatility. From one basic recipe you can easily make three types of cookies.

About 40 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup, plus 4 teaspoons powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons ground hazelnuts (almonds or coconut may be substituted)
• 2 egg whites
• Baking wafers - 3 inches (these crisp, flat wafers are widely used in European baking and are available in specialty food stores in the U.S.)

Directions:

Mix together all ingredients. Use a teaspoon to drop small scoops of dough onto the baking wafers (the wafers make it easy to remove the cookies from the cookie sheet). Place on a cookie sheet on the second shelf from the bottom of the oven. Bake until golden brown at 350-375 for 20 minutes.

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Mandelmakronen

(Almond Macaroons)

This recipe comes from a family with three little boys who are cookie experts. The cookie is light, crispy and sits on a small baking wafer. According to the little ones, this cookie is fun because you can concentrate first on the wafer, then on the cookie.

About 90 cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups unpeeled almonds
• 1-2/3 cups powdered sugar
• 5 egg whites
• 90 round baking wafers (these crisp, flat wafers are widely used in European baking and are available in specialty food stores in the U.S.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 275° F. Place almonds in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand for about 3 minutes. Remove skins. Place the almonds in a blender and grind to a semi-coarse consistency. Add sugar and blend again. Beat egg whites and combine with almond-sugar mixture.

Place baking wafers on a cookie sheet. Using a wet teaspoon, put a small amount of mixture onto each wafer. Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the mixture has become crisp and dry. Do not let the cookies brown. Remove and let cookies cool on a rack.

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Frankfurter Bethmännchen

(Little Beth Men from Frankfurt)

This recipe comes originally from the Bethmann family of Frankfurt, hence its name. The cookie is a favorite of one embassy member’s grandmother, who lives in Frankfurt. Every year, she presents each of her grandchildren with a little bag of these treats. However, the grandchild in distant Washington will have to bake her own this year!

About 40 cookies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons peeled almond halves
• 120 almond halves, reserved for decoration
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons prepared marzipan (a prepared almond paste usually packaged in logs, available in specialty food stores)
• 1 tablespoon rosewater
• 7 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 2 small eggs
• 3-1/2 tablespoons flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Finely grind the measured almonds. Break the marzipan dough into small pieces and mix with one of the eggs, rosewater, powdered sugar, ground almonds and flour. Separate the remaining egg and beat the yolk, set aside. Form marzipan mixture into balls the size of walnuts, placing three almond halves onto the top of each ball. Brush each ball with the beaten yolk and place on a cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet on the middle rack. Bake 15 minutes until golden brown.

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Früchtebrötchen

(Small Fruit Bread Loaves)

This recipe is the favourite of a sister back in Germany. When you’re far from home, a delicious way to remember family members is by baking treats you’ve shared together.

About 40 cookies

Ingredients:

• 3-1/2 tablespoons each of raisins, dried apricots and hazelnuts
• 3 tablespoons rum
• 1/2 cup, plus 2 teaspoons softened butter
• 1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup, plus 4 teaspoons flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• a pinch of cinnamon
• a pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup, plus 2 teaspoons powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• baking paper

Directions:

Preparation time 40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Rinse the raisins and apricots with hot water, drain and towel dry. Chop the apricots into small pieces. Coarsely chop the hazelnuts. Place the raisins, apricots and hazelnuts in a bowl, pour in the rum, cover and set aside.

Whip the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Little by little, add the eggs, the flour mixed with the baking powder, the cinnamon and salt. Beat vigorously by hand for 10 minutes or about 4 minutes on low speed with a mixer. Stir in well the mixture of rum, fruit and nuts.

Cover baking sheet with baking paper. Use two teaspoons to drop 40 small scoops of dough. Place the baking sheet on the middle rack and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Sift the powdered sugar, add the lemon juice and, if necessary, a few drops of water to form a thick icing. Remove the small "bread loaves" from the baking sheet and place on a cookie rack. Ice while still warm.

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Das Richtige Rezept von Berliner Brot - Kriegsrezept

(The Genuine Recipe for Berlin Bread)

There is a history to this popular recipe - it was created during the war. Because ingredients were scarce or restricted at the time, the recipe produces a leaner dough than you would encounter in more plentiful times. But this makes the treat more healthful, certainly an added attraction. It is also worth noting that this recipe does not really produce a bread, but more of a bar cookie (it’s also unclear if it’s really from Berlin!).

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• ½ nutmeg, finely grated
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 3 tablespoons cocoa
• 1-1/4 cups whole unpeeled almonds (increase nuts if desired)
• 1-3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons flour

Directions:

Beat eggs with brown sugar until foamy. Combine remaining ingredients and add to egg-sugar mixture. Spread dough into a large, greased baking pan with 1" sides. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes at 325° F. When done, the top is a light gold, don’t let the bread get too brown. Cut into pieces while still warm.

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Hausfreunde

(Friend of the House)

We believe this recipe came by its cheerful name because it is so easy to make and keep, perfect for a host or hostess who enjoys the company of unexpected visitors. When Christmas brings you a guest, this is a delicious cookie to be able to offer.

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup, plus 4 teaspoons baking chocolate
• 1 cup, plus 4 teaspoons sugar
• 1 cup, plus 4 teaspoons chopped almonds
• 1 cup, plus 4 teaspoons raisins
• 1 cup, plus 4 teaspoons flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• milk
• powdered sugar

Directions:

Beat the eggs with the sugar till foamy. Add the remaining ingredients one by one, ending with the flour. Spread dough into a large greased baking pan with 1" sides (this recipe makes bar cookies). Bake at 300° F for 20-30 minutes. When done, ice with a mixture of milk and powdered sugar. Let cool and cut into quarters. Stored in a cookie tin and refrigerated, these bars keep for quite a while.

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Wiener Vanillekipferl

(Viennese Vanilla Crescents)

This recipe was described as "always the first to go." A favourite with one husband and multiple sons, perhaps this is a good cookie to try when you want a special treat for a household of men.

Ingredients:

• 3-1/2 tablespoons unpeeled almonds
• 3-1/2 tablespoons hazelnuts
• 1-1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• a pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup, plus 6 tablespoons butter, cold and cut into small pieces
• 2 egg yolks
• 5 packets vanilla sugar (available at specialty food stores)
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Pour boiling water over the almonds, remove the skins and finely chop. Finely chop the hazelnuts. Sift the flour onto a large wooden board. Make a well in the flour and add the almonds, hazelnuts, sugar, salt, butter and egg yolks. Knead dough until it is smooth and pliable, but do not over knead. Wrap the dough in aluminum foil and let rest for 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Divide the dough and form into several pencil-thick rolls. Cut the rolls into 2 inch lengths and bend into crescent shapes. Place on cookie sheets and bake on middle rack until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Stir the vanilla sugar and powdered sugar together in a shallow bowl. Carefully dip the still warm crescent cookies in the sugar.

Tip: to store the cookies so they won’t break, stack them lengthwise between wax paper in a cookie tin.

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Marzipan-Pralinen

(Marzipan Pralines)

This recipe comes from a devoted mother-in-law who made these marzipan-cherries every year for Christmas and sent them where possible around the world (which unfortunately excluded postings in Bangkok and Lagos because of the temperatures...).

40 candies

Ingredients:

• 14 ounces marzipan (prepared almond paste usually packaged in logs, available in specialty food stores)
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 2-3 shot glasses of Kirschwasser
• 40 sour cherries, drained
• 14 ounces dark chocolate
• 40 walnut halves

Directions:

After draining the sour cherries, soak in the Kirschwasser for 24 hours. Mix the marzipan with the powdered sugar and knead into a pliable dough. On a surface covered with powdered sugar, roll out into a sheet roughly 1/2" to 1/4" thick (not too thin or the sheet will break). Drain the cherries. Cover each cherry with a circle cut from the marzipan sheet, creating a neat ball.

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave. Dip each cherry-marzipan ball into the chocolate and place on a cookie rack. While the chocolate is still soft, press a walnut half onto each ball. Let harden in refrigerator.

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Anisplätzchen

(Aniseed Cookies)

This recipe was contributed by a baker who loves the cookies’ smell almost more than their taste. Adding a light taste and smell of liquorice, the amount of aniseed in recipes like this can vary from a half teaspoon to a heaping tablespoon. One recipe for gourmet aniseed cookies called for two tablespoons of choice aniseed!

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup, plus 4 teaspoons sugar
• 3/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons flour
• 3-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon finely ground aniseed

Directions:

Beat the eggs until foamy. Add the sugar by the tablespoon full. Mix together the flour, cornstarch and baking powder, sift and sprinkle over the egg mixture. Fold together ingredients, adding aniseed at the end. Form balls with a teaspoon and place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Let stand for one hour to dry. Bake lightly for 12-15 minutes in a moderate heat.