Name: Frankfurt Bethmännchen (Almond Christmas Cookies)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 24 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 25
Cuisine: German
Ingredients: 2.5 oz. (70g) almonds (with skin); 8.8 oz. (250g) marzipan for baking; 1/2 cup (60g) confectioners’ sugar; 1 oz. (30g) all-purpose flour; 1 medium egg; 1 tsp. heavy cream

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Christmas season finally arrived! Halloween is in the past, Thanksgiving is history and the pumpkin season is officially over (at least for me). To make sure you have enough ideas and recipes for upcoming Christmas baking sessions I am starting a little Christmas Cookies event today called “12 Days of Christmas Cookies”. This means there will be a lot of fresh cookie recipes coming up until Christmas. Delicious treats to fill your cookie jars – if your family and friends are as greedy as mine, you probably have to bake a lot until Christmas, so these recipes will help you a lot probably ;) Let’s start with a Christmas cookie classic: Frankfurter Bethmännchen – sweet little bites that everyone loves.

12 Days of Christmas Cookies | Bake to the roots

So 12 fresh cookie recipes until Christmas – maybe some more? Who knows. I already have quite a bit of Christmas cookie recipes on the blog. Last year, for example, I made a short list with my 10 Favorite German Christmas Cookies – if you want more cookies, this is the place to go and check. It’s a nice collection of different classic Christmas cookies from Hildabrötchen to Vanillekipferl. All very delicious.

These cookies today for the launch of the “12 Days of Christmas Cookies” are classic and simple Bethmännchen – roughly translated as “small men praying”, but the name actually comes from the family name “Bethmann”. Anyway. Small balls made of a marzipan based dough and decorated with halved almonds. These little fellas are especially popular in the Frankfurt area because that’s where they (supposedly) are coming from.

Frankfurter Bethmännchen | Bake to the roots

I like these cookies a lot – it’s all about the marzipan – you always get me with that ;) There is another Christmas bake called Almond Marzipan Crescents – similar dough, equally addictive. The combination of the marzipan and the crunchy baked almonds is simply delicious…. mmm!

Well… I hope you will find some Christmas cookies here you think are worth trying. I really love all those sweet little treats – even though I can only enjoy a few here and there because of my diabetes. Means a couple more walks with the dog each day ;)

INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN

(about 25 cookies)

2.5 oz. (70g) almonds (with skin)
8.8 oz. (250g) marzipan for baking
1/2 cup (60g) confectioners’ sugar
1 oz. (30g) all-purpose flour
1 medium egg
1 tsp. heavy cream

(ca. 25 Stück)

70g Mandeln (mit Schale)
250g Marzipanrohmasse
60g Puderzucker
30g Mehl (Type 550)
1 Ei (M)
1 TL Sahne

DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG

1. Add the almonds to a small pot with some water and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and rinse with cold water to cool them down quickly. Squeeze the almonds to remove the skins. Some of the almonds will split in half already – all others should be halved as well. It’s easy to do that with the help of a knife. Take a close look at the tip of the almond to find the spot where the two halves connect and slide in with the knife to separate them. Set aside on a piece of paper to dry a bit.

2. Cut the marzipan into small pieces and add together with the confectioners’ sugar, and flour to a large bowl. Divide the egg – mix the egg yolk with the heavy cream and set aside. Add the egg white to the bowl and mix everything until you get a very sticky but smooth dough.

3. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Shape the dough into 25 small balls and place on the baking sheet. Brush with the egg yolk mixture and press three almond halves onto each ball so they stick to the sides (see pictures). Bake for 20-24 minutes until lightly golden in color. Take out of the oven and let cool down on a wire rack.

1. Die Mandeln in einem Topf mit Wasser kurz aufkochen, in ein Sieb geben und mit kaltem Wasser abschrecken. Die Mandeln aus der Haut drücken. Einige der Mandeln werden dabei schon in zwei Hälften zerfallen – den Rest mit Hilfe eines Messer längs halbieren, wenn sie das nicht von alleine tun wollen. Es ist dabei am einfachsten an der Spitze mit dem Keimling den Spalt in der Mandel zu suchen und dann mit dem Messer die beiden Hälften voneinander zu trennen. Auf einem Stück Küchenrolle zur Seite legen und trocknen lassen

2. Die Marzipanrohmasse würfeln und zusammen mit dem Puderzucker und Mehl in eine große Schüssel geben. Das Ei trennen – Eigelb mit der Sahne verrühren und zur Seite stellen. Das Eiweiß zur Schüssel dazugeben und alles zu einer glatten Masse verkneten.

3. Den Ofen auf 150°C (300°F) vorheizen. Ein Backblech mit Backpapier auslegen. Aus dem Teig etwa 25 Kugeln formen und auf das Blech setzen. Mit der Eigelb-Sahne-Mischung bepinseln und dann drei Mandelhälften an die Seiten jeder Kugel drücken. Für 20-24 Minuten backen, bis die Plätzchen eine leicht goldene Farbe bekommen haben. Aus dem Ofen holen und auf einem Kuchengitter abkühlen lassen.

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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.