Christmas is coming and I made a little list with my favorite German Christmas cookies. Everybody has his/her personal favorites – maybe because he/she had it in their childhood or just because they taste delicious. My list is a mix of recipes I know for quite some time and is circulating in my family for ages… and some are “new stuff” I discovered not too long ago. Because? ALL DELICIOUS! ;)
There is no ranking from 1 to 10. It’s just a list with ten awesome Christmas cookie recipes in the order they came into my mind. Number one is not my favorite cause it is number one. Just sayin’ ;) Even though I have a favorite in there… maybe you can find out yourself.
While we are all here – do you have a favorite recipe for Christmas cookies? Are you more into the classic ones or the new and experimental ones? Tell me about it! I want to know!
Well… enough chit-chat. Get your taste buds ready, I am going to open my Christmas cookie box for you!
1. Chocolate Spitzbuben
Sandwich cookies like these here have many names in Germany. I call them “Spitzbuben” others say “Hildabrötchen”. Most recipes use a light dough for this kind of cookies. I also got a recipe here on the blog for the “classic” ones – check it here. The Chocolate Spitzbuben are made with… well chocolate ;) I thought I could shake up things a bit. Seems to work well – right now it is one of the most clicked Christmas cookie recipes on the blog. ;)
2. Husarenkrapferl aka. Chocolate Pecan Thumbprint Cookies
I think chocolate and Christmas cookies are always a good match. These Chocolate Pecan Thumbprint Cookies are made with loads of chocolate – in the dough and of course the filling! They are super easy to prepare. Nice to make with kids. There is also a „white“ version of these cookies on the blog: Macadamia White Chocolate Kisses. Also very good! ;)
3. Gingery Cookies aka. Speculoos
These cookies are a must-have or in my case must-do for Christmas: Spekulatius aka. Gingery Cookies aka. Speculoos. As soon as the „Christmas Season“ starts in the supermarkets – like in September(!) – this kind of cookies are available everywhere. The ones from the store are not bad, but homemade is better. Most of the time ;) You can decorate them the way you want – use traditional molds or try something fancy and new and create something really special. I would go crazy if someone made special looking Spekulatius for me! Unfortunately, nobody will ever do that, so I have to bake them myself!
4. Rum Sandwich Cookies
The recipe for these Rum Sandwich Cookies is quite new on the blog. I am baking them for years already but never thought of bringing them to the blog. Guess I didn’t want to share because they are so good ;) Well… everybody loves them. Maybe because there is rum involved. Who knows. Christmas is the season of mulled wine and that one also gets some rum on top, so why not cookies too?! I am pretty sure you will love them too once you try them ;)
5. Ginger Crescent Cookies
Vanilla Crescent Cookies are very popular here in Germany. Almost everybody loves them. If you make them properly. I guess the ones that do not like them, never had good ones ;) The bad ones can get really dry and hard and you can only eat them with a cup of mulled wine. Will never happen with my recipe for the perfect German Vanilla Crescents. Just so you know ;) These cookies here are a variation of the classic ones – made with candied ginger. With a little punch at the end. Cause it’s ginger ;) I like this version also a lot! You should definitely try these Ginger Crescent Cookies!
6. Classic German Heidesand Cookies
This is another classic German Christmas cookie recipe that made its way on the blog just recently: Heidesand Cookies. I knew about the cookies but never actually made them. They are more known in the north of Germany. I am coming from the south and we just did not make them at home when I was a kid. We had enough other Christmas cookies to bake ;) Bummer! The cookies are über delicious! Very simple, but the texture and flavor is just awesome! You definitely have to try them one day!
7. Marzipan Almond Crescents
Another recipe for crescents. You can actually get them all year round in many bakeries, but for me, they are typical German Christmas cookies galore! ;) I case your bakery around the corner does not provide them, you can easily make them at home. Delicious marzipan in combination with almonds and chocolate… mmm! But be warned – the Marzipan Almond Crescents disappear somehow very quickly ;)
8. Klassische Ausstercherle aka. Simple Christmas Cookies
These classic and simple German Christmas Cookies are a must-have for Christmas season. They are called “Ausstecherle” – the translation would be probably “cut out cookies” I guess. They are very basic and simple but definitely one of my all-time favorite cookies. The recipe is from my former future mother-in-law ;) When she was still the current future mother-in-law, she always sent us a bit box with Christmas cookies and these were always part of the collection. Now I have to bake them myself which is fine – it’s fun to make them ;))
9. Dominosteine aka. Domino Squares
These Domino Squares are not really Christmas cookies, to be honest – they are more like pralines/chocolates but one of the most popular Christmas sweets here in Germany. The little dices/cubes consist of a layer of gingerbread, a layer of jelly and a layer of marzipan – covered with chocolate to hold everything together. I love them. Making them at home is a bit of work… but so much better than the ones you can buy in the stores. Really ;) I am not making them every year though. They are not the easiest thing to make but gone in a second as soon as they hit the plate with the Christmas cookies – so the time of making them and the time of enjoying them is quite unbalanced :P
10. Lebkuchenplätzchen aka. Gingerbread Cookies
These Christmas cookies should be on your cookie plate if you like the typical “christmassy” flavors of gingerbread. The Gingerbread Cookies area easy to prepare and can be decorated any way you want – you can only use some sugar glaze or go wild and use colors and sprinkles. If you are baking with kids these are perfect to entertain them for quite some time ;)
Out of the competition, because “too cute to eat” are these Santa Cookies aka. Nikolaus Honigkuchen. They are a super cute gift for friends and family or just an adorable decoration… but I can’t bite into them. It’s impossible (even though they are edible of course) ;)
Craving more? Keep in touch on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for new post updates and more. You can also contact me with any questions or inquiries!
