You can never know enough cookie recipes for Christmas, right? As a baker you want to be able to offer a certain selection on your cookie plates and more important, you may not want to bake the same stuff over and over again every year… Well, how about a new cookie recipe to enhance your selection!? If you haven’t heard of Chocolate Streusel Cookies with Quince Jam yet, you may now have found something new to bake. We love these little sandwich cookies. The combination of chocolate and quince jam is simply perfect!
The weeks before Christmas we bake a lot – all the classics, you can think of: Vanillekipferl aka. Vanilla Crescents, Cinnamon Stars and Spitzbuben are some of the Christmas cookies we always bake. The moment we do not make them, the uproar is huge, because everybody loves them. ;P These three different types of Christmas cookies are not enough, though. We do much more alongside those cookies. This could be recipes we did before but also something new like these streusel cookies here.
The streusel cookies here aren’t necessarily completely new territory, tbh. The dough is a standard dough we use for many types of cookies. The use of quince jelly is something different/new, though. We probably would have used something chocolaty or something with nougat here if the quince jelly hadn’t been sitting in the cupboard waiting to be used. Well, luckily there was jelly that needed to go… ;)
We really love streusel cookies. They are easy to prepare and look great on a cookie plate. You don’t even need a cookie cutter for these little treats. All you have to do is rolling out the dough and then cut it into squares, diamond shapes, or triangles. You can use a serrated dough cutter (that’s what we used here) or a simple knife. A pizza roller does the work also pretty well. The only thing you have to keep an eye on is the size of the shapes you cut out – they should be all similar, so the sandwiched cookies match later on…
Otherwise, you don’t really need to pay much attention to anything else here. Sprinkle the streusels on top, bake the cookies and then add the filling and press the cookies together. Quite simple tasks. In case you don’t have quince jelly at home, any other jam or marmalade will work here. Or as mentioned above already – chocolate spread, something with chocolate nougat or nuts is also fine.
Tips & Tricks for perfect Christmas cookies
Cold ingredients are usually better. Shortcrust pastry should be cold. We usually use butter straight from the fridge and only knead the dough as much as necessary – this way the cookies are crumbly and melt in your mouth. ;P
Be sure to let the dough rest. A step in the recipe that some people want to skip, but a step that is important. Give the dough at least 30 minutes in the fridge. The dough will relax, it sticks less to your hands and rolling pin and the cookies keep their shape much better when baked. If you are not immediately in the mood for baking, you can leave the dough in the fridge for longer – up to 2 days is fine in most cases.
Roll out the dough evenly. To make sure the cookies bake evenly, the dough should be the same thickness everywhere. Simple tools you can use here, for example: a rolling pin with spacers*, wooden guide rods*, to roll out the dough or, in emergencies, just some chopsticks. ;)
Don’t let the cookies get too dark. You want shortcrust cookies to be tender and crumbly. To get that texture, you should not bake the cookies too long. A pale top with slight golden edges is perfect here. Better to take the cookies out of the oven a moment too early than too late. If you leave the cookies on the hot baking sheet, they will continue »baking« do to the residual heat. Keep that in mind.
Avoid warm baking sheets. Never place cookies on a baking sheet that is still warm. The butter will start to melt straight away and the cookies will spread unattractively, because the heat is not blasting from all sides immediately as it would in the oven. It’s best to use several baking sheets so you can switch or simply wait a bit longer before you continue with another batch of cookies. ;)
Store the cookies airtight – but separately. Cookies with filling (e.g. Spitzbuben) should be stored separately from varieties with intense flavors such as cinnamon stars or gingerbread cookies – otherwise the simpler, more delicate cookies will absorb the flavors and/or additional moisture, for example. Also, cookies with toppings will look better when stored in a container with parchment paper between the layers.
Sandwich Christmas cookies with any kind of filling are always very popular around here for Christmas. The combination of tender cookies and filling is just too good not to bake them again and again! If you also like Christmas cookies like that, you should definitely take a look at our Chocolate Biscoff Speculoos Spitzbuben. Absolutely amazing cookies! ;)
If you prefer the »classics«, you should check out our recipe for German Spitzbuben aka. Hildabrötchen. They melt in your mouth and taste simply fantastic with the raspberry jam in the middle! Christmas season would not be perfect without those cookies. At least for us. ;P
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(about 30-36 cookies)
For the cookies & streusels:
1 3/4 cups (230g) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup (70g) confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup (30g) cocoa powder
1 pinch of salt
2/3 cup (150g) butter, in small pieces
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract*
To finish:
some milk for brushing
about 3.5 -4.2 oz. (100-120g) quince jam*
some confectioners’ sugar for dusting
(etwa 30-36 Stück)
Für die Kekse & Streusel:
230g Mehl (Type 405)
70g Puderzucker
30g Kakao
1 Prise Salz
150g Butter
1 Eigelb (L)
1 TL Vanille Extrakt*
Zum Fertigstellen:
etwas Milch zum Bestreichen
etwa 100-120g Quittenmarmelade/Gelee*
etwas Puderzucker zum Bestäuben
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Add the flour, confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, and salt to a large bowl and mix to combine. Add the butter, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and mix with the dough hooks of a hand mixer (or with the food processor). As soon as the mixture starts looking like streusels, set about 1/2 a cup aside, and then continue kneading the rest until you get a smooth dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it together with the streusels in the fridge for about 30-45 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and set aside.
3. Roll out half of the dough thinly on a lightly floured surface – leave the rest in the fridge. Use a serrated pastry wheel* and cut strips with a width of about 5 cm, then cut these strips into triangles (see pictures). Place the triangles on the prepared baking sheet with some space in between. Brush half of the triangles with milk and sprinkle them with some streusels.
4. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for about 10-11 minutes. Take the cookies out of the oven and let them cool down briefly on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool down completely. Repeat the process with the remaining dough and streusels, collect leftover dough and roll out again. If you are out of streusels, you can turn leftover dough into streusels by crumbling it.
5. Warm the quince jam slightly to make it easier to work with. Spread a little jam on each cookie (without streusels) and place a matching cookie with streusels on top and press them together. Dust the finished sandwich cookies with a little confectioners’ sugar. Store the biscuits in a cookie box that closes well and leave them in a cool place. Eat them within a week.
1. Mehl, Puderzucker, Kakao und Salz in einer großen Schüssel vermischen. Butter, Eigelb und Vanille Extrakt dazugeben und alles mit den Knethaken eines Handrührgeräts (oder Küchenmaschine) vermengen. Wenn die Zutaten langsam anfangen zusammenzuhalten und alles wie Streusel aussieht, etwa 1/2 Tasse davon zur Seite nehmen – den Rest zu einem glatten Teig verkneten. Den Teig in Klarsichtfolie wickeln und zusammen mit den Streuseln für etwa 30-45 Minuten in den Kühlschrank legen/stellen.
2. Den Ofen auf 180°C (350°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Ein Backblech mit Backpapier auslegen und zur Seite stellen.
3. Etwa die Hälfte des Teiges auf einer leicht bemehlten Fläche dünn ausrollen – den Rest wieder in den Kühlschrank legen. Mit einem gezackten Teigrad* etwa 5 cm breite Streifen zuschneiden und diese Streifen dann wiederum in Dreiecke schneiden (s. Fotos). Die Dreiecke mit etwas Abstand zueinander auf das vorbereitete Blech setzen. Die Hälfte der Teig-Dreiecke mit Milch bestreichen und dann mit Streuseln bestreuen.
4. Die Plätzchen im vorgeheizten Ofen für etwa 10-11 Minuten backen. Aus dem Ofen holen und kurz auf dem Backblech abkühlen lassen, dann auf ein Kuchengitter setzen und komplett auskühlen lassen. Den Prozess mit dem verbliebenen Teig und Streuseln wiederholen – Teigreste dabei immer wieder sammeln und neu ausrollen. Sollten die Streusel nicht reichen, kann man auch aus Teigresten der Kekse Streusel formen.
5. Die Quittenmarmelade leicht erwärmen, damit sie sich besser verarbeiten lässt. Auf jedem Keks ohne Streusel etwas Marmelade verstreichen und dann einen passenden Keks mit Streuseln aufsetzen und ein wenig festdrücken. Die fertigen Keks-Doppeldecker mit etwas Puderzucker bestäuben. Die Plätzchen in einer gut schließenden Dose an einem kühlen Ort lagern. Innerhalb einer Woche verzehren.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Chocolate Streusel Cookies with Quince Jam
- Prep Time: 00:20
- Cook Time: 00:10
- Total Time: 02:00
- Yield: 30 1x
- Category: Christmas Cookies
- Method: -
- Cuisine: Germany
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Delicate Chocolate Streusel Cookies filled with aromatic quince jelly – an easy recipe for crispy, chocolaty, and wonderfully flavorful treats.
Ingredients
For the cookies & streusels:
1 3/4 cups (230g) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup (70g) confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup (30g) cocoa powder
1 pinch of salt
2/3 cup (150g) butter, in small pieces
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract*
To finish:
some milk for brushing
about 3.5 -4.2 oz. (100-120g) quince jam*
some confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Instructions
1. Add the flour, confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, and salt to a large bowl and mix to combine. Add the butter, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and mix with the dough hooks of a hand mixer (or with the food processor). As soon as the mixture starts looking like streusels, set about 1/2 a cup aside, and then continue kneading the rest until you get a smooth dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it together with the streusels in the fridge for about 30-45 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and set aside.
3. Roll out half of the dough thinly on a lightly floured surface – leave the rest in the fridge. Use a serrated pastry wheel* and cut strips with a width of about 5 cm, then cut these strips into triangles (see pictures). Place the triangles on the prepared baking sheet with some space in between. Brush half of the triangles with milk and sprinkle them with some streusels.
4. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for about 10-11 minutes. Take the cookies out of the oven and let them cool down briefly on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool down completely. Repeat the process with the remaining dough and streusels, collect leftover dough and roll out again. If you are out of streusels, you can turn leftover dough into streusels by crumbling it.
5. Warm the quince jam slightly to make it easier to work with. Spread a little jam on each cookie (without streusels) and place a matching cookie with streusels on top and press them together. Dust the finished sandwich cookies with a little confectioners’ sugar. Store the biscuits in a cookie box that closes well and leave them in a cool place. Eat them within a week.
Notes
The kitchen is calling, time to bake!
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