I know, it is a bit late to make Christmas cookies now (it’s after Christmas already), but it is #CookieFriday and you deserve some cookies! That’s why I made these cute little Bear Cookies here. Not only good for Christmas but for every day of the year. Happy Cookie Friday!
These little fellas are too cute, aren’t they? You’ve probably seen them all over the internet already. I like to bake them for Christmas but they work also fine all year round, since bears are not animals that are typically related to Christmas or winter – like reindeers or gingerbread boys… Yes, gingerbread boys are animals in my Christmas World.
The dough for these little fellas is one of the basic shortcrust recipes I have. It is being used for many different christmas cookies in my house. It is very easy to make and can be prepared in advance. Store it for up to 3 days in the fridge before baking. The bears can be made with almonds, like you see in the pictures, but you can also use hazelnuts, cashews or pecans – whatever you like the most. Don’t forget to give the bears faces! They look creepy without…
There isn’t really much else to say about the cookies. They are classic cut-out cookies, simply decorated with a few nuts instead of icing or colorful sprinkles. As with most shortbread-style cookies, you need to make sure they don’t stay in the oven too long. A light tan is great, but a full-blown sunburn wouldn’t look quite so good on the little bears, right?
Note: If the dough is dry, which can happen, the arms tend to break sometimes when you try to bend them over the nuts. No problem at all. Just press them onto the body of the bears and shape them a bit. No big surgery is needed.
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
2/3 cup (150g) butter
2/3 cup (75g) confectioners’ sugar*
1 3/4 cups (225g) all-purpose flour*
1 medium egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract*
1 pinch of salt
7 oz. (200g) whole hazelnuts or almonds
150g Butter
75g Puderzucker*
225g Mehl (Type 405)*
1 Eigelb (M)
1 TL Vanille Extrakt*
1 Prise Salz
200g ganze Haselnüsse oder Mandeln
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. In a large bowl mix the butter in small pieces, confectioner’s sugar, flour, egg yolk and salt and knead first with a handheld mixer or food processor and then with your hands until you get a nice smooth dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes in the fridge.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line several baking sheets with baking parchment. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to a thickness of about 2mm. Use a cookie cutter to cut out small bears. Place them on the baking sheets and knead the remaining dough again and cut out more cookies. Place a hazelnut or almond on each bear and put the arms on top. Place one baking sheet at a time in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool down on a wire rack.
1. In einer großen Schüssel die Butter in kleinen Stücken, Puderzucker, Mehl, Eigelb und eine Prise Salz zuerst mit den Knethaken eines Handrührgerätes oder der Küchenmaschine, dann mit den Händen zu einem glatten Teig verkneten. In Klarsichtfolie wickeln und 30 Minuten im Kühlschrank ruhen lassen.
2. Den Ofen auf 180°C (350°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Mehrere Bleche mit Backpapier auslegen. Den Teig auf einer bemehlten Fläche etwa 2mm dick ausrollen. Mit einem Ausstecher kleine Bärchen ausstechen. Die Plätzchen auf die Bleche legen und die Teigreste mit dem restlichen Teig verkneten und weitere Plätzchen ausstechen. Auf jedes Bärchen eine Haselnuss oder Mandel legen und die Arme darüberlegen und etwas andrücken. Jeweils ein Backblech in den Ofen schieben und etwa 10 Minuten backen. Plätzchen auf einem Kuchengitter abkühlen lassen.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Print
Cute Bear (Xmas) Cookies
- Prep Time: 00:10
- Cook Time: 00:10
- Total Time: 01:00
- Yield: 50 1x
- Category: Christmas Cookies
- Method: -
- Cuisine: International
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These little fellas will be loved by your whole family – they easy to make and really delicious. Bake them with your kids! Not only for Christmas…
Ingredients
2/3 cup (150g) butter
2/3 cup (75g) confectioners‘ sugar*
1 3/4 cups (225g) all-purpose flour*
1 medium egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract*
1 pinch of salt
7 oz. (200g) whole hazelnuts or almonds
Instructions
1. In a large bowl mix the butter in small pieces, confectioner’s sugar, flour, egg yolk and salt and knead first with a handheld mixer or food processor and then with your hands until you get a nice smooth dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes in the fridge.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line several baking sheets with baking parchment. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to a thickness of about 2mm. Use a cookie cutter to cut out small bears. Place them on the baking sheets and knead the remaining dough again and cut out more cookies. Place a hazelnut or almond on each bear and put the arms on top. Place one baking sheet at a time in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool down on a wire rack.
Notes
Enjoy baking!
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Hello. If possible can you provide a link to the bear cutter? I can’t find that specific one. Thank you!
Sorry – I bought that cookie cutter in a regular shop – I have no idea if that one is sold online.
Cheers,
Marc