We are baking Christmas cookies pretty much every year, and some of them we do over and over again. The classics, you could say. We have a bunch of Christmas cookies we do constantly with the same old recipe that has been used for decades. But we also got cookies that are based on classics but kind of »reinterpreted« from time to time. These Biscoff Thumbprint Cookies aka. Engelsaugen, for example. They are based on a classic recipe for Engelsaugen with jam filling, but here the filling is delicious Biscoff spread. So good!
Thumbprint cookies are quite popular for Christmas. In Germany (and other German-speaking countries) they are often called Engelsaugen or Husarenkrapferl. We like to give our bakes weird names, sometimes. No idea who came up with the name »angel eyes« for this type of cookie. They do not really look like eyes… only if you are into creepy Halloween-looking monster eyes. Imagine angels with such brown buttons as eyes – would be a bit creepy, right?!
Anyway. Whatever name you prefer – the cookies are delicious. There is no doubt about that. No matter if they are filled with Biscoff spread, chocolate, or jam. All so good! Any type of filling will add moisture to the cookies and make them softer with time. That’s something I like about these cookies – the longer they are stored (properly), the better they get. After a few days in a cookie box, they basically melt in your mouth when you eat one…
As I said already – this type of cookie is usually baked around Christmas. I think that’s a big mistake. You can bake and enjoy these cookies all year round! Why only bake them in winter? I mean… when adding »Christmassy« spices like gingerbread spice or speculoos spice, I can understand that those cookies are a better fit around Christmas. But the plain ones with jam only? They are delicious any day of the year.
Whenever I bake these cookies here for Christmas, I often combine them with other Christmas cookies, like Almond Marzipan Logs or Hazelnut Macaroons. If you take a look at the recipe, you will see there are no whole eggs used, only egg yolks. This means we have spare egg whites. Not enough to make scrambled eggs or an omelette with egg whites only, but enough to use in a second Christmas cookie recipe. One that needs egg whites only for the dough. You say you’re killing two birds with one stone here – no food waste and more cookies for everyone. I call that a win-win situation.
On the other hand – if you have leftover egg yolks from another cookie recipe, these cookies are perfect to get rid of those egg yolks. For example, if you use royal icing somewhere to decorate cookies, you will end up with some leftover egg yolks if you use egg whites to prepare the icing. Win-win again.
Well… and whenever we are not in the mood for some additional baking, we have a super easy solution to get rid of excess egg yolks or egg whites without throwing them: our French Bulldog Bruno. He loves to take care of stuff like that. He is a living vacuum cleaner for leftovers.
Anyway. We also got a recipe for the classic version of these cookies here on the blog. Delicious Thumbprint Cookies with Jam Filling aka. Engelsaugen – everyone’s favorite Christmas cookie! In case you are a little chocoholic, I can only recommend trying my Macadamia White Chocolate Kisses. They are based on the classic thumbprint cookies… but with chocolate filling.
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(14-15 cookies)
1 cup (130g) stronger all-purpose flour*
1/3 cup (40g) confectioners’ sugar
1 pinch of salt
2.8 oz. (80g) butter, cold
2 medium egg yolks
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract*
some milk for brushing
1 Lotus Biscoff cookie*, crumbled
3-5 tbsp. Lotus Biscoff Spread*
(14-15 Engelsaugen)
130g Mehl (Type 550)*
40g Puderzucker
1 Prise Salz
80g kalte Butter
2 Eigelb (M)
1/2 TL Vanille Extrakt*
etwas Milch zum Bestreichen
1 Lotus Biscoff Keks*, zerbröselt
3-5 EL Lotus Biscoff Aufstrich*
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Mix flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add the cold butter in small pieces, the egg yolks, and the vanilla extract. Knead with the dough hooks of a hand mixer (or use your hands) until you get a nice and smooth dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for about 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Divide the dough into 14-15 portions and shape each one into a small ball. Place the balls with some space in between on the prepared baking sheet. Flatten them slightly and then press your thumb (or the end of a wooden spoon) into the dough to create an indention for the filling later on. Brush the dough pieces with some milk and sprinkle with the Biscoff cookie crumbs. Bake the cookies for about 8-10 minutes – they will not get very dark. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool down on a wire rack.
3. Warm the Biscoff spread briefly in the microwave until it has become soft and runny. Pour the runny spread (e.g. with a small spoon) into the indentions in the cookies and let it cool down and set again. Store the cookies in a cookie box at room temperature.
1. Mehl, Puderzucker und Salz in einer Schüssel vermischen. Die kalte Butter in kleinen Stücken, das Eigelb und den Vanille Extrakt dazugeben und alles mit den Knethaken des Handrührgeräts zu einem glatten Teig verkneten – geht natürlich auch mit den Händen. Den Teig in Klarsichtfolie einschlagen und für etwa 1 Stunde in den Kühlschrank legen.
2. Den Ofen auf 200°C (390°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Ein Backblech mit Backpapier auslegen. Den Teig in 14-15 Portionen aufteilen und jeweils zu einer kleinen Kugel formen. Die Kugeln mit etwas Abstand zueinander auf das vorbereitete Blech setzen, leicht flachdrücken und dann mit dem Daumen (oder dem stumpfen Ende eines Kochlöffels) jeweils eine Mulde in den Teig drücken. Die Teigstücke mit Milch bestreichen und dann mit Keksbröseln bestreuen. Die Plätzchen für etwa 8-10 Minuten backen – die Plätzchen werden dabei nicht sehr dunkel. Aus dem Ofen holen und auf einem Kuchengitter auskühlen lassen.
3. Den Biscoff Aufstrich kurz in der Mikrowelle erwärmen, bis er schön weich und flüssig geworden ist. Mit einem kleinen Löffel in die Mulden der Plätzchen füllen und wieder fest werden lassen. Die Engelsaugen in einer Keksdose bei Raumtemperatur aufbewahren.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Print
Easy Biscoff Thumbprint Cookies
- Prep Time: 00:20
- Cook Time: 00:10
- Total Time: 02:00
- Yield: 15 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: -
- Cuisine: International
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
If you like Biscoff cookies or Biscoff spread, you will love these cookies – Easy Biscoff Thumbprint Cookies. A great little snack all year round!
Ingredients
1 cup (130g) stronger all-purpose flour*
1/3 cup (40g) confectioners‘ sugar
1 pinch of salt
2.8 oz. (80g) butter, cold
2 medium egg yolks
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract*
some milk for brushing
1 Lotus Biscoff cookie*, crumbled
3-5 tbsp. Lotus Biscoff Spread*
Instructions
1. Mix flour, confectioners‘ sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add the cold butter in small pieces, the egg yolks, and the vanilla extract. Knead with the dough hooks of a hand mixer (or use your hands) until you get a nice and smooth dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for about 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Divide the dough into 14-15 portions and shape each one into a small ball. Place the balls with some space in between on the prepared baking sheet. Flatten them slightly and then press your thumb (or the end of a wooden spoon) into the dough to create an indention for the filling later on. Brush the dough pieces with some milk and sprinkle with the Biscoff cookie crumbs. Bake the cookies for about 8-10 minutes – they will not get very dark. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool down on a wire rack.
3. Warm the Biscoff spread briefly in the microwave until it has become soft and runny. Pour the runny spread (e.g. with a small spoon) into the indentions in the cookies and let it cool down and set again. Store the cookies in a cookie box at room temperature.
Notes
Happy Baking!
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