This recipe is inspired by my former (soon to be but never actually happened) mother-in-law. Her name is Erna :) Sometimes it’s hard to admit it, cause I think I am a good baker, but she bakes the best Christmas cookies aka. German Ausstecherle in the world. Period.
I don’t know how she does it, but it seems she is doing nothing at all, is always relaxed and suddenly there are tons and tons of Christmas cookies everywhere! A couple of weeks before Christmas she always sent us a box with cookies – and as soon as the rumor spread, people were coming from near and far to get some of those cookies :) You probably think now “he is exaggerating a lot now…” – but I’m not ;)
I made these cookies for the first time this year with her recipe. They are really good (and fun to make), but her cookies are still better. Dunno, she probably has a secret ingredient she did not tell me. I am pretty sure that is the reason ;)) Anyways… try them, bake them with your kids. They will have a lot of fun decorating the cookies. Be creative, go frantic ;)
If you don’t want to have my recipes online on your mobile phone or computer only, you should take a look at my latest baking book: Cookie Mania with my 100 favorite cookie recipes. All recipes have been tried and tested many times and foolproof ;) The book is also a great gift for someone who loves baking cookies or just eating them…
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
For the dough:
4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
1 pinch of salt
1 cup (250g) butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 medium eggs
2 egg yolks for brushing the cookies
1 tbsp. water
For the decoration:
1 1/2 cups (200g) confectioner’s sugar
2-3 tbsp. lemon juice (or rum if you are not baking for kids)
food color (optional)
sugar pearls/sprinkles
Für den Teig:
500g Mehl (Type 405)
1 1/2 TL Backpulver
150g Zucker
1 Prise Salz
250g Butter
1 TL Vanille Extrakt
2 Eier (M)
2 Eigelb zum Bestreichen
1 EL Wasser
Für die Dekoration:
200g Puderzucker
2-3 EL Zitronensaft (oder Rum, wenn nicht für Kinder gebacken wird)
Lebensmittelfarben (optional)
Zuckerperlen/Streusel
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. In a large bowl, mix flour with baking powder, sugar, and salt until well combined. Add the butter in small pieces, vanilla extract and the eggs and knead until you get a nice smooth dough (best to do it first with the machine and then with your hands). Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes in the fridge.
2. Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180°C). Line several baking sheets with baking parchment. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to a thickness of 0.08 inch (2mm). Use cookie cutters in any shape you want and place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets. Knead the remaining dough and roll out again to cut out more cookies until all dough is used.
3. Whisk the egg yolks with the water and brush the cookies. Bake one baking sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes. Let the cookies cool down on a wire rack.
4. For the glaze, sift the confectioner’s sugar in a bowl, add lemon juice (or rum) and mix until you get a smooth mixture. Add now some drops of food color if you like (optional). Glaze the cookies and sprinkle with sugar pearls or sprinkles. Let the glaze dry completely and store the cookies in a tin box in a cool place.
1. In einer großen Schüssel Mehl mit Backpluver, Zucker und Salz vermischen. Butter in kleinen Stückchen, Vanille Extrakt und Eier zugeben und 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 ca. 2mm (0.08 inch) dick ausrollen. Nach belieben Formen ausstechen und auf die vorbereiteten Bleche legen. Die Teigreste noch einmal zusammenkneten, ausrollen und weitere Plätzchen ausstechen – so lange bis der gesamte Teig aufgebraucht ist.
3. Das Eigelb mit dem Wasser verquirlen und die Plätzchen damit bestreichen. Jeweils ein Backblech in den Ofen schieben und ca. 10-12 Minuten backen. Plätzchen auf einem Kuchengitter abkühlen lassen.
4. Für die Zuckerglasur den Puderzucker in eine Schüssel sieben. Zitronensaft zugeben und glatt rühren. Nach Belieben mit Lebensmittelfarbe einfärben (optional) und mit Zuckerperlen/Streuseln bestreuen. Glasur komplett trocknen lassen und dann in einer Blechdose an einem Kühlen Ort lagern.
Go crazy with the decorations! Instead of using sprinkles, you can color the glaze with different colors and fill it in piping bags and draw whatever you want on the cookies. There are also pre-made sugar mixtures for this you can buy in stores. This is what happens if you give an illustrator a piece of dough and some time to decorate ;)
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Print
Simple Christmas Butter Cookies aka. German Ausstecherle
- Prep Time: 00:40
- Cook Time: 00:12
- Total Time: 02:00
- Yield: 60 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Cuisine: Germany
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These cookies are made with a basic dough – easy and quick to make. Perfect if you want to bake with children. They will have a lot of fun decorating these cookies.
Ingredients
For the dough:
4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
1 pinch of salt
1 cup (250g) butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 medium eggs
2 egg yolks for brushing the cookies
1 tbsp. water
For the decoration:
1 1/2 cups (200g) confectioner’s sugar
2-3 tbsp. lemon juice (or rum if you are not baking for kids)
food color (optional)
sugar pearls/sprinkles
Instructions
1. In a large bowl mix flour with baking powder, sugar, and salt until well combined. Add the butter in small pieces, vanilla extract and the eggs and knead until you get a nice smooth dough (best to do it first with the machine and then with your hands). Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes in the fridge.
2. Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180°C). Line several baking sheets with baking parchment. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to a thickness of 0.08 inch (2mm). Use cookie cutters in any shape you want and place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets. Knead the remaining dough and roll out again to cut out more cookies until all dough is used.
3. Whisk the egg yolks with the water and brush the cookies. Bake one baking sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes. Let the cookies cool down on a wire rack.
4. For the glaze sift the confectioner’s sugar in a bowl, add lemon juice (or rum) and mix until you get a smooth mixture. Add now some drops of food color if you like (optional). Glaze the cookies and sprinkle with sugar pearls or sprinkles. Let the glaze dry completely and store the cookies in a tin box in a cool place.
Notes
Enjoy baking!
Die sind ja allerdliebst!!! :)
Das Rezept kommt mir gerade recht! Wollte morgen ein paar Kekse fabrizieren, wusste aber noch nicht genau was für einen Teig ich nehmen werde. Fest stand: Es sollte etwas neues sein. Und jetzt hab ich es gefunden! Danke ;)
Freut mich, wenn ich helfen konnte ;) Die sind echt lecker.
I – so far – always had trouble with a 1:1 exchange von 405 to All-Purpose-Flower. Maybe that´s the reason. Nevertheless I will give it a try. Just in case, Wegmans has 405. Super expensive – but better than nothing. Thanks for the recipe ♥
Hi Bianca,
I actually use 405 and 550 for these cookies and both works – I think the 550 is a bit closer to a/p flour…
Cheers,
Marc