Traditional German Spitzbuben cookies made with almond shortcrust pastry and filled with jam. A classic Christmas jam sandwich cookie recipe.
The Spitzbuben cookies are my favorite cookies this year. I've baked quite a few different kinds lately, and while everyone in the family has their own favorite, these are definitely mine.
I've always had a soft spot for jam cookies. Put a plate with ten different sorts in front of me, and I'll almost always reach for the jam-filled ones first. Other favorites in the same category are these Classic Thumbprints.
Check out this selection of the Best German Christmas Cookies; you can find many of them here.
Ingredients: 10 | Prep Time: 40 minutes | Cook Time: 12 minutes per batch| Servings: 30 | Difficulty: Easy
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Recipe ingredients
Butter: Use cold, unsalted butter with a high fat content (around 82%). This is important for a tender, crumbly dough.
Jam: Almost any jam or jelly works. Jelly looks especially nice because it is smooth and glossy, but jam is perfectly fine.
I prefer redcurrant jelly - it's beautifully bright, slightly tart, and balances the sweetness of the cookies very well.
The amount of icing here is enough to pipe a neat edge around your star-shaped cookies. If you want to fully cover each cookie with icing, you'll need about twice as much - but it's totally worth it for that glossy finish!
Best jam for Spitzbuben
I prefer red currant jam or jelly, but raspberry jam and apricot jam also work very well. You can also use sour cherry jam, plum, or blackberry jam
Less traditional but still delicious options include lemon jelly or orange marmalade.
If your jam contains seeds, pass it through a sieve. If it has chunks of fruit, blend it until smooth.
What are Spitzbuben cookies?
Spitzbuben are traditional German jam sandwich cookies made with a tender almond shortcrust pastry. They are especially popular at Christmas in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Depending on the region, they are also known as Linzer Auge (Linzer Eye) or Johannes biscuits. The cookies are cut into shapes, with a small cut-out in the top layer that reveals the jam filling underneath. The Apricot Jam Cookies are also a type of Linzer cookie.
The name Spitzbuben is mainly used in southern Germany and Switzerland and roughly translates as "mischievous boys." Many bakers still cut three small holes instead of one larger one, which can make the cookies look like tiny faces.
How to make Spitzbuben cookies?
Step #1: Make the Spitzbuben dough in a food processor.
Step #2: Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes.
Step #3: Roll ยฝ of the dough and cut out stars using a star cutter.
Step #4: Bake, let set, and then cool completely.
Step #5: Spread the icing on the perforated cookies and sprinkle them with a bit of granulated sugar. Brush the whole cookies with a thin layer of jam, but only when the iced cookies are set.
Step #6: Place a perforated star on top of each whole cookie and press gently. Fill the hole of the star with more jam and leave it to set.
Tips for making Spitzbuben
Use a digital kitchen scale to measure the ingredients. Cup measurements are very inaccurate for this kind of dough.
Do not knead the dough. Once it comes together in the food processor, turn it out onto the work surface (do not flour it) and press it briefly into a ball.
Keep the dough you are not rolling or cutting refrigerated.
Make ahead: The dough can be prepared in advance and refrigerated overnight or even for a couple of days.
Let the baked cookies set for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack; otherwise, they may break.
Let the cookies cool completely before icing and filling them with jam.
Recipe FAQs
You'll need two cutters in the same shape but different sizes - for example, two star-shaped cutters, one larger and one smaller.
You can use any shape you like. If you don't have cookie cutters, use small glasses to cut the dough. For the holes, a piping nozzle works very well.
Mix icing sugar with 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice to make a thick paste. Spread or pipe it onto the perforated cookies, or ice them completely if you prefer. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and let dry.
Spitzbuben are closely related to Linzer cookies and Linzer Augen. They are made with a similar almond shortcrust pastry, but Spitzbuben are usually smaller, lighter, and filled with jam rather than nut fillings.
How to store?
Store the cookies in an airtight container. You can layer them with parchment paper so they don't stick, although I usually don't bother.
Spitzbuben Cookies (German Jam Sandwich Cookies)
Equipment
- Food processor
- Large star cutter 2.5 inches/ 6 cm
- Small star cutter or a piping nozzle
- 2 Baking sheets
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
Pastry (Note 1):
- 3 cups all-purpose flour Note 1
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 egg white
- 1ยผ cup ground almonds
Icing:
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar Note 2
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice as needed
- a pinch of granulated sugar to decorate
Filling
- ยพ cup jam/ jelly of choice something slightly sour, Notes 3, 4
Instructions
Pastry:
- Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and vanilla sugar/vanilla extract in the food processor or stand mixer. Pulse to mix. 3 cups all-purpose flour + 1 teaspoon baking powder + 1 cup granulated sugar + 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the cold butter pieces, egg white, ground almonds, and pulse until you obtain a crumbly mixture.1 cup unsalted butter + 1 egg white + 1ยผ cup ground almonds
- Refrigerate: Turn pastry onto the working surface, press briefly to form a disc, wrap in plastic wrap/cling film, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF/ 180ยฐC. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cut pastry: Divide the dough in two. Sprinkle a little flour on the working surface and roll half the dough about 4 mm/0.15 inch thick. Place the rest of the pastry in the fridge. Cut out stars using a star cutter with a diameter of about 6 cm/ 2.5 inches. Place half of these stars on the baking sheet.Use another smaller star cutter (or a piping nozzle) to cut another little star in the middle of the remaining stars.
- Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden. Take out of the oven, let sit on the tray for about 5-10 minutes to set slightly. Transfer to wire racks and leave to cool completely.
- Second batch: In the meantime, roll and cut the rest of the pastry. Repeat the process until all the pastry is used.
Icing:
- Mix: When all the cookies are completely cool, mix the icing sugar with one or two tablespoons of lemon juice to obtain a thick paste.1 cup confectioners' sugar + 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Decorate: Either spread this paste on the perforated cookies or place the paste into a small piping bag and mark the edges of the cookies. Sprinkle with some granulated sugar and leave to dry out well.a pinch of granulated sugar
Filling:
- Heat jam: If using chunky jam, blend until smooth. When the cookies are dry, place the jam or jelly in a small pan and heat it up a bit to make it soft and smooth.ยพ cup jam/ jelly of choice
- Fill with jam: Brush the whole stars with a thin layer of jam, place a perforated star on top, and press gently. Fill the hole of the star with some more jam and leave to set.
Notes
- Measurements: Please use a kitchen scale in baking; cup measuring is too inaccurate.
- The amount of icing listed is enough to pipe a decorative edge around the star-shaped cookies. If you want to fully cover the cookies with icing, you'll need about double the amount.
- Jam: You can use any favorite jam that is on the tart side. I use redcurrant jelly most of the time. Alternatively, use sour cherry, plum, raspberry, or blackberry jam. Other, less traditional but great jam options are apricot jam, lemon jelly, and orange marmalade.
- Texture of the jam: If using a jam with seeds in it, pass the jam through a sieve to remove the seeds. If using jam with chunks of fruit in it, blend the jam until smooth.
Rouge says
Could I leave the almonds out of the recipe?
Adina says
Hi. No, you shouldn't leave out the almonds; the dough will not come together. You can replace them with hazelnuts if you like those better.
Chris Scheuer says
I love jam-filled cookies. These beautiful sweet treats remind me of the Linzer cookies/tortes from Austria, so delicious!
Adina says
That's right, they are pretty similar and they taste just as good. ๐
Thao @ In Good Flavor says
These cookies look so good and so cute too, Adina! I like the sweet cookie and sour jam...such a nice contrast.
Adina says
Thank you, Thao. Cookies with jam are really my favorite, if the jam is sour enough it really gives that nice contrast.