Heidesand or heath sand are traditional German cookies, short crust pastry usually made with brown butter, rolled in sugar, sliced and then baked. Really simple but really good.
These were probably the first cookies I had many years ago when I first came to Germany and had my first Christmas here. My husband’s grandmother who still lived in the house at the time used to make lots of different but all very traditional cookies every December. She would pack them in tins and keep them all through the holiday season, we would still get to eat some in January. I didn’t bake anything in those days so my husband was very happy to have his grandma making these treats for him. Me too, actually.
Last year was the first time I have made these heidesand cookies using the original recipe. This year I have changed things little bit and I have to say I liked this version of heidesand even more than the original one. I didn’t brown the butter anymore, but instead I flavored the pastry with some marzipan and lemon zest. I absolutely love that lemon zest-marzipan aroma in these cookies, you definitely do not want to miss it.
Rating
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Serves: 35
- 100 g/ 3.5 oz/ a very little less than ½ cup soft butter
- 50 g/ 1.7 oz/ ½ cup icing sugar
- 25 g/0.8 oz/ ¼ cup grated and loosely packed marzipan paste (a ball about the size of a walnut)
- 1 sachet vanilla sugar
- 1 organic lemon, only the zest
- 125 g/4.4 oz/ 1 cup + 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
- 1 egg yolk
- 3-4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Mix together the soft butter, icing sugar, grated marzipan paste, vanilla sugar and grated lemon zest using a hand held mixer. The mixture should get creamy. Sieve the flour over this mixture and incorporate. Form a long pastry roll, about 4 cm/ 1.6 inch thick. Halve the roll, wrap each half in plastic foil and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius/ 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
- Whisk the egg yolk with a fork and brush the pastry rolls all over. Place the granulated sugar on a plate and toss the roll to coat in sugar. Cut the rolls into ½ cm/ 0.2 inch slices. Place the pastry slices on the baking trays and bake for about 10-15 minutes until the cookies are golden.
27 comments
i like your addition of lemon zest–it’s a great way to add some zip and freshness!
Exactly, Grace, and I really love that. Thank you! 🙂
Yum! Those sound heavenly. I would like to make some, but for us in the US, how much sugar is one sachet? Happy Holidays Adina!
About two teaspoons, Kate.
These cookies look really good 🙂
Thank you, Heidi.
I have heard of these cookies, but never tried them before. They look so pretty and delicious, love your festive pictures! 🙂
You should try them, they are really good, and I am sure you could make them with margarine. 🙂
How is it that I’ve never heard of these, they sound wonderful! I love classic cookies, they’re always the best, and the brown butter thing has got me very intrigued!
I love “classics” too and there are so many around here, I haven’t yet tried them all. But I am perseverent!
Heidesand is one of my all-time favorite Christmas cookies! My mom and I make them every year and they’re something I always look forward to. Yours look perfect!
Thank you, Kimberly. 🙂 Nice that you can do that with your mom.
I love the flavors that you have added here, the lemon zest and marzipan sound lovely!
Thank you, Meghan.
Nothing better than a simple butter cookie! The lemon zest must make them taste fabulous!
I love the lemon zest in these. Thank you.
Wow, great idea, love this post!
🙂
Your last couple of cookie recipes look so scrumptious! I’d just love to sit in your kitchen, sip on tea, chat, and eat up all your cookies! 🙂
What a lovely little cookie. I love that it is a family favorite. There’s nothing better than an old family recipe…and there’s nothing wrong with changing it just a bit!
I think the simplest cookies are often the best. These sound wonderful Adina! Have a Merry Christmas!
These look perfectly beautiful. The touch of marzipan paste and lemon sound wonderful. Have a wonderful holiday!!
OMG! So perfect! I love these cookies!
Thank you, Marcela.
HELP! i followed the recipe exactly and my cookies melted into one great big pool and baked. It is like one giant oily cookie. I think the recipe has too much butter. It calls for 1/2 cup which is 8 Tablespoons. What happened? Thank you.
I think I just solved my own problem (previous comment)! I apparently used 1/2 cup flour + 1tsp instead of 1 CUP ! duh!!!
I’ll try again. Thanks!
Oh, sorry about that, Sydney, such things happen…. I was just checking the quantities again, but I am glad you found the problem. I hope you try the cookies again.