There is an almost endless supply of Christmas cookie recipes out there. We love to bake the classics and these Raspberry Amarettini Xmas Cookies definitely belong in that category. Easy to prepare and really delicious little fellas. Thanks to the jam in the center of the cookies they last quite a bit… if you can hold back and not eat all of them immediately ;P
Christmas baking has a long tradition in many countries around the world. During the time before Christmas, when it is colder outside (at least in the northern hemisphere), people like to sit together, drink mulled wine or other alcoholic beverages, and snack on many different sweet treats. Why? So the alcohol is not showing its effects too quickly. Or maybe to get you drunk even faster? I always mix that up ;P
Anyway. All that sweet stuff was actually created to keep you happy and fat over a long winter period. The more calories you eat the more likely you survive a cold and harsh winter.
Since many people pay a lot of attention to the summer season and how to get back into shape after a decadent Christmas season – these cookies might not be the perfect Christmas cookies for you. They are made to survive winter, not to get into your bikini. These cookies have enough sugar to turn your children into hyperactive creatures. So better enjoy them with caution! Just kidding. Or maybe not… ;)
With that in mind… who wants a cookie?! These little fellas taste very much like almonds and marzipan – as everything “amaretti” does I guess. I love the combination with the raspberry jam but other flavors work as well. You could try cherry jam, strawberry jam, or maybe blackberry jam. They should all give you nice and delicious results.
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(about 50 cookies)
For the dough:
3 medium egg whites
10.6 oz. (300g) sugar
10.6 oz. (300g) ground almonds
1 tbsp. honey (liquid)
5-6 drops of almond flavor
3.5 oz. (100g) confectioners’ sugar
1.8 oz. (50g) (seedless) raspberry jam
(ca. 50 Stück)
Für den Teig:
3 Eiweiß (M)
300g Zucker
300g Mandeln, gemahlen
1 EL Honig (flüssig)
5-6 Tropfen Bittermandelöl
100g Puderzucker
etwa 50g Himbeerkonfitüre (ohne Kerne)
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Add egg whites and sugar to a large owl and mix until light and fluffy. Add the ground almonds, honey, and almond oil and mix/knead until you get a nice and smooth (but quite sticky) dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for about 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with baking parchment and set aside. Divide the dough into 50 pieces and shape them into little (cherry-sized) balls. Roll them in the confectioners’ sugar and place with some space in between on the baking sheets – the dough spreads a bit while baking. Use the back of a wooden spoon or a finger to press little depressions into each dough ball. Stir the jam a bit to soften it and fill a small portion into each depression. Bake one baking sheet at a time for about 15 minutes each. Take out of the oven and let cool down completely on a cooling rack. Store in a tin box in a cool place.
1. Das Eiweiß für den Teig zusammen mit dem Zucker kurz aufschlagen. Mandeln, Honig und Bittermandelöl dazugeben und alles zu einem glatten Teig verkneten – der Teig wird recht klebrig sein. In Klarsichtfolie einschlagen und für etwa 1 Stunde in den Kühlschrank legen.
2. Den Ofen auf 180°C (350°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Zwei Backbleche mit Backpapier auslegen. Den Teig in etwa 50 kirschgroße Kugeln formen, dann im Puderzucker wälzen und mit etwas Abstand auf die Bleche setzen – der Teig geht etwas auseinander beim Backen. Mit dem Stiel eines Kochlöffels oder einem Finger eine kleine Mulde in jede Teigkugel drücken. Die Konfitüre etwas glatt rühren, damit sie weicher wird und eine kleine Portion in jede Mulde füllen. Die beiden Bleche nacheinander für jeweils etwa 15 Minuten backen. Aus dem Ofen holen und auf einem Kuchengitter komplett abkühlen lassen. In einer Blechdose an einem kühlen Ort lagern.
Note: This is an updated version of the article. The recipe is still the same, only slightly changed how it is written. The pictures are new. This is how it looked like before ;) You might notice the old cookies from 2014 look a bit darker – that’s because they were not made with blanched almonds. Means you can use regular ground almonds or blanched ground almonds. Up to you.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Print
Raspberry Amarettini Xmas Cookies
- Prep Time: 00:20
- Cook Time: 00:15
- Total Time: 02:00
- Yield: 50 1x
- Category: Christmas Cookies
- Cuisine: Germany
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Classic Christmas cookies we love to bake every year – over and over: Raspberry Amarettini Xmas Cookies. So easy to make and so good!
Ingredients
For the dough:
3 medium egg whites
10.6 oz. (300g) sugar
10.6 oz. (300g) ground almonds
1 tbsp. honey (liquid)
5-6 drops of almond flavor
3.5 oz. (100g) confectioners’ sugar
1.8 oz. (50g) (seedless) raspberry jam
Instructions
1. Add egg whites and sugar to a large owl and mix until light and fluffy. Add the ground almonds, honey, and almond oil and mix/knead until you get a nice and smooth (but quite sticky) dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for about 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with baking parchment and set aside. Divide the dough into 50 pieces and shape them into little (cherry-sized) balls. Roll them in the confectioners’ sugar and place with some space in between on the baking sheets – the dough spreads a bit while baking. Use the back of a wooden spoon or a finger to press little depressions into each dough ball. Stir the jam a bit to soften it and fill a small portion into each depression. Bake one baking sheet at a time for about 15 minutes each. Take out of the oven and let cool down completely on a cooling rack. Store in a tin box in a cool place.
Notes
Enjoy baking!
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They look so good! I will bake them tomorrow!
How long to they last?
They should be good for at least 1 week – probably longer if you store them in a cool place and airtight.
Cheers
Marc
Thank you for sharing this recipe :) I am going to try this recipe tomorrow :)
Can you bake these cookies in a fan-forced oven? Or is it best to not have the fan on?
And another question, will redcurrant jelly work for these cookies?
Hi.
Fan-forced is fine. Just reduce the heat to 160°C/320°F.
Red currant also works with the almond. No problem :)
Cheers
Marc