Pretty Pretty Pretty...that's what your heart shouts when you see these pieces of beauties. Spitzbuben cookies from Switzerland!! Also known as Linzer, Hildabrötchen or Plätzchen or depending on the type of flour used and filling. These sandwich cookies are soft melt in mouth, made with Almond/ Hazelnut/Walnut flour, filled with the jam or fruit preserve of your choice(mainly strawberry or raspberry). The tops dusted with icing sugar, colorful jam sneaking out from the cutout of the top part, makes these the prettiest cookie of all !! Specially made during Christmas/ Holidays, but you can always make these for any of your special occasion to adorn your dessert table or have just like that.
I am a part of FoodieMonday Bloghop group and this week our 172 #Foodiemonday bloghop theme is #InternationalFeast. This week's theme was suggested by Mayuri Patel who blogs at Mayuri’s Jikoni. Mayuri suggested World Cuisine for this week with an interesting take. We have to choose a country and a dish from the country that should begin with our name’s first letter.
I choose Switzerland, as the name starts with the first letter of my name. Switzerland is famous for its chocolate and cheese and is one country that I want to visit. The beautiful country I have seen in movies and pics and known someday I will visit it too?!! So with this theme, Switzerland came immediately to my mind and as I searched for the special dishes there, I came upon these Spitzbuben Cookies, as beautiful as the country!! These cookies are like the Linzer cookies(or I must say another name for these) that are popular German Cookies and made with Almond flour/Walnut flour. I really could not relate the name Spitzbuben with these beauties as Spitzbuben means 'little brat boys" in swiss. Maybe there is some old folk story related with the name. If anyone of you knows about it do let me know?!!
The buttery cookie dough is made with butter along with eggs but I have used milk here for the eggless version. Just out of the oven these cookies are crisp but soften with the moisture once it is sandwiched with jam/fruit preserves. If you are making these cookies for some occasion or guests ahead of time, keep in an air-tight tin container and sandwich with jam/preserve the day you want to use these, as the cookies soften with the moisture of jam.
Use the same cookie cutter for cutting the dough as the cookies need to of the same size for sandwiching and we don't want the filling to spill out while sandwiching.
The buttery dough is too soft, so handle with care. Also, you need is to refrigerate the dough well and work in a cool kitchen so that the dough doesn't get unmanageable. Roll the dough in a butter/parchment paper and transfer it carefully to the baking tray with a scraper. Only take care of the extra heat in your work area, rest process of making these is not at all complicated as it seems to be.
Cookie cutters of 2-inch diameter are required for cutting the dough and a small one for making the cutout on the top cookie. I used round ones for cookie shape and heart/leaf 1 inch for the cutout, you can use as per the shape of your choice .. star, heart, floral.
Let's get the ingredients and make these beauties!!
Soft, buttery melt in mouth sandwiched cookies with a jam or fruit preserve filling of your choice.
Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour---1½ cup / 180 g
- Butter*-- 1/2 cup / 113 g/ 1 stick
- Icing Sugar--- 1/2 cup
- Milk---1/4 cup
- Vanilla Essence--1 Tsp
- Any Jam of your Choice- 1/2 Cup
*I used salted butter, if using unsalted butter, add 1/4 tsp of salt to flour.
Directions
- Sieve the flours together and keep aside.
- Cream together butter, sugar and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and again beat until the mixture is nice and fluffy. It will be light cream in color.
- Add the flour and fold in lightly until well combined. Gather together the flour. Do not knead the dough. If the flour is too crumbly add 1-2 tbsp of milk to bind the dough.
- Divide the dough into two equal portions, wrap in a cling film and keep in the refrigerator for a minimum 30 minutes.
- Prepare two baking trays lined with parchment paper.
- Take out the dough from the refrigerator and roll it lightly floured workspace around 1/4 inch of thickness. Using a 3 inch round cookie cutter or any cutter of your choice, cut out the dough. You can re-roll the scraps and use it later. Very carefully transfer the cut-outs to the baking tray(use a scrapper), and keep in the refrigerator covered with cling film.
- Take out the second dough from the refrigerator and similarly using a 3-inch cookie cutter cut out the dough and line on the baking tray. Take the 1-inch cookie cutter and cut out the dough from the center of the cut-out cookies. Transfer to the baking tray and keep in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350°F or 180°C.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes till the edges start turning brown. The cut-out cookies take a minute less than the whole round cookies.
- Transfer the cookies when these are slightly warm to a cooling rack.
- When completely cool, dust icing sugar on the cutout cookies. This is optional, but the cookies look cute with the dusted sugar.
- Spread the fruit preserves or jam over the whole cookie. I used my homemade Raspberry Jam.
- Sandwich the two parts together. Keep in an air-tight container for over 4-5 days. But believe me, these will not last more than few hours.??
Bake these little beauties Spitzbuben Cookies and enjoy with your loved ones. Kids will adore these melt in mouth jammy cookies. Christmas is almost here, so Pin the recipe for your holiday baking as these are Christmas special!!
Taking these to Fiesta Friday #251 week co-hosted by Mollie @ Frugal Hausfrau and Monika @ Everyday Healthy Recipes.
Also taking these Hearth and Soul Anticipating Holiday party..
Do give feedback in comments and whenever you make these do share the pics on my FB page or tag me on Instagram. You can also find my recipes on Google+
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Thanks for stopping by. Keep coming back for more such yummy recipes ?!!
livingchicforless
Thanks for such a fun post! I have been searching for a yummy cookie recipe and now I have been inspired! Thanks 😀
Veena Krishnakumar
They look so beautiful!!The jam filling must be very delicious
Swati
Thanx Veenaji!!
FoodTrails
Thanks Sasmita for the lovely words!!
Sasmita Sahoo Samanta
Oh this is hit with my kiddo ? He loves particularly the center area ? Yours are looking so perfectly baked and assembled well. Lovely share for theme dear Swaty !!
poonampagar
These jam filled butter cookies are simply irresistible Swaty ! Loved your perfection and the beautiful photographs are making the cookies al the more desirable. I am planning to make them during this Christmas vacation with my little one. Thanks for the wonderful share.
FoodTrails
Thanks Poonam.. Do make these special Christmas Cookies..with kids around it is fun baking!!
Vidya Narayan
You have set the festive mood Swaty! Love the look of these cookies and like you, Switzerland is on my wish list too. Until we both fulfill our dream destination goals, lets make do with the swiss cookies instead, what say? Haha.. Loved the detailed recipe and wish I could pick up few.
FoodTrails
Loved what you said.. u have a very nice way of appreciating things!! Thanks dear..
Angie | Fiesta Friday
Those are lovely cookies! Thanks for linking up to Fiesta Friday!
FoodTrails
Glad you liked the cookies!!?
ParsiCuisine.com
My neighbor makes these. Now I can make them myself. Thanks!
FoodTrails
These are very easy to make these!! Do give my recipe a try and give the feedback!!
Mildlyindian (@mildlyindian)
Mind blowing finish of the cookies, the droolsome jam filling mmmmmm
I was watching the image with my kid and she was literally drooling. We plan to make some in the holidays.
FoodTrails
Thank you Seema!! Making cookies is fun with kids.. my little one helps me out in cutting the cookies and then filling with jam!! It will be fun.. do try these too!!
mayurisjikoni
The heart is definitely shouting pretty and the tummy is yelling I want some! The cookies look so pretty and love your suggestion of baking the cookies and filling them only when one is ready to serve them.Lovely share for the theme Swaty.
FoodTrails
Thanks Mayuriji for your lovely words!!
Batter Up With Sujata
Loved these cuties. I wish I could grab one from the picture. Not only kids but adults will also finish the plate in the minute. Fabulous share.
FoodTrails
Thanks Sujata!!These are everyone's favourite in my home!!
themadscientistskitchen
Sigh these beauties are making me drool. Wish I can pluck them off the screen. Awesome choice for the theme.
FoodTrails
Thanks Archana!! Come here will again bake some for you !!!
Kalyani
Buttery goodness and perfect for the festive season , Swati ! My kids would be very happy if I made these, but for now it’s a gorgeous virtual treat 🙂
FoodTrails
Thanks Kalyani!! These are a hit among the kids!!
The Girl Next Door
These look so beautiful - sigh! Almost too pretty to eat! 🙂
Great share for the theme!
FoodTrails
Thanks and glad that you liked these!!