Best Traditional German Christmas Cookies: 17+ Unique & Tasty Cookie Recipes To Bake!

🧂 Ingredients

• ½ cup butter

  (unsalted - softened, at room temperature)
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 large eggs

  (at room temperature)
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup apricot jam

  (jam, jelly, or preserves)
• 1 cup butter

  (unsalted)
• 5 tablespoon rum

  (or water)
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup hazelnuts

  (whole)
• 2 cups hazelnut meal

  (or almond meal)
• 1 cup dark chocolate

  (chopped - or dark chocolate chips)
• 1 teaspoon butter

  (optional)

Instructions

• 1 Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) and trim a sheet of parchment
  paper to fit inside a 18x13 rimmed baking sheet. *This is the jelly roll size
  baking sheet.
• 2 In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer cream the softened ½ cup
  butter with ½ cup sugar until smooth. Add the 2 large eggs and 2 teaspoon
  vanilla extract, as well as the 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1 pinch salt then
  beat until combined.
• 3 Add the 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour and mix in until your flour is fully
  incorporated into a smooth dough. Transfer the dough to your parchment
  paper-lined baking sheet and press to fill the baking sheet in an even layer.
  *You can also roll the dough out between sheets of parchment paper until is
  close to your pan size, then transfer and finish pressing to fill the baking
  sheet.
• 4 Dock the entire surface of the shortbread base using the tines of a fork. Then,
  coat the top of the shortbread pastry dough with a layer of the ⅓ cup apricot
  jam , jelly, or preserves. *Use a drizzle of warm water to make the jam more
  spreadable.
• 5 In a small saucepan, add the 1 cup butter and 5 tablespoon rum (or water), 1 cup
  light brown sugar, and 2 teaspoon vanilla extract and heat over medium until the
  sugar is dissolved without bringing the sauce to a boil.
• 6 Chop your 1 cup hazelnuts or crush them in a plastic bag using the flat side of
  a meat mallet or tenderizer (or anything heavy!) until course in texture.
• 7 Add the chopped hazelnuts and ground 2 cups hazelnut meal to the sauce and mix
  until combined. Drop onto the shortbread base in large dollops, then spread over
  the apricot layer using your spatula to push the nut layer over the entire
  surface in an even layer.
• 8 Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25-30 nor until light golden brown in color on the
  edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely overnight, or until the
  bars reach room temperature and chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours to set
  up completely.
• 9 Use a sharp knife to cut the Nussecken into 30 squares, then cut each square in
  half diagonally to make triangles.
• 10 Melt the 1 cup dark chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl (with optional 1 teaspoon
  butter if desired) in 30-second increments on high power. Stir between each
  heating until melted and smooth.
• 11 Dip the corners of each Nussecken into the melted chocolate then place the
  coated triangles onto a cooling rack or a sheet of parchment paper to set.

Nutrition Info