The Spitzbuben cookies are typical German cookies: a double layer of almond shortcrust pastry with jam in between.
I give you my favorite cookies this year: the German Spitzbuben cookies with jam. I've made quite a few different sorts of cookies recently, and everyone in the family has their favorite. These are mine.
Jam cookies are generally my favorite kind. Place a plate with 10 different sorts in front of me, and I would probably go for the jam ones first, most of the time. I will get to the others as well, no worries, but the most enticing for me would be those made with jam. Other jam favorites are these Classic Thumbprints.
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โญWhat are Spitzbuben?
Spitzbuben cookies are some of the best-known German cookies. Also very popular in Switzerland and Austria. Also known as Linzer Auge โ Linzer Eye or Johannes biscuits.
Apparently, Johannes came up with them during the 30-year war and the subsequent famine (17th century). He would bake these cheap cookies, fill them with jam, and give them to the poor.
The name Spitzbuben is mostly used in Switzerland and the South of Germany and means โmischievous boyโ. That might have something to do with the fact that the little holes in the cookies would sometimes look like a small face. Many people still cut 3 small holes instead of a single larger one. And those holes look indeed like a little face.
๐Recipe ingredients and substitutions
- Dry ingredients: All-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, vanilla sugar, unsalted butter, one egg white, ground almonds, icing sugar, and jam or jelly.
- Vanilla sugar can be replaced with ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Butter: Unsalted butter with a high-fat content (82%). It should be very cold.
- Jam: Pretty much any jam or jelly you like. Jelly looks nicer because is smoother and glossier, but it is not mandatory.
- I prefer redcurrant jelly; it is bright and red and quite tart.
Tips: I recommend using a tarter and very aromatic sort of jam or jelly, like red currants, sour cherry, plums, raspberries, or blackberries.
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.
Other less traditional but great jam options are apricot jam, lemon jelly, and orange marmalade.
๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ณHow to make Spitzbuben cookies?
Make the Spitzbuben dough in a food processor.
Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes.
Roll ยฝ of the dough and cut out stars using a star cutter.
Bake, let set, and then cool completely.
Spread the icing on the perforated cookies and let set completely. Brush the whole cookies with a thin layer of jam.
Place a perforated star on top of each whole cookie and press gently. Fill the hole of the star with more jam and leave to set.
๐Tips for making Spitzbuben
Use a digital kitchen scale (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab) to measure the ingredients; cup measuring is very inaccurate.
Don't knead the dough. Once you have mixed it in the food processor, turn it onto the working surface (not floured) and only press briefly to form a ball. Keep the dough you are not rolling/ cutting refrigerated until you need it.
Make in advance: You can make the Spitzbuben cookie dough in advance and refrigerate it for longer, overnight, or for a couple of days.
Make sure you cut an equal amount of perforated and unperforated cookies so that you can form the Spitzbuben.
Let set for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Otherwise, they will break when you try to move them.
Let the Spitzbuben cookies cool completely before icing and filling with jam.
โRecipe FAQ
You will need two shape cutters in different sizes. For instance, one larger and one smaller star-shaped cookie cutter (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab).
You could use any kind of cutter you like. If you don't have a cutter use small round glasses to cut the dough.
If you don't have a small star-shaped cutter, make a round cut, for instance. You could use a piping nozzle to cut the small hole in the middle of half of the cookies.
Mix icing sugar and 1-2 tablespoon lemon juice for a thick paste. Spread or pipe the paste onto perforated cookies; alternatively, fully ice them. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and let dry.
Keep the German Spitzbuben in airtight containers.
You could layer them between pieces of parchment paper so that they don't stick to each other at all. But I usually don't bother.
They will last for about a week.
๐ฅฎMore German Cookies
Check out The Best German Cookies!
๐Recipe
Spitzbuben Cookies
Equipment
- Food processor
- Large star cutter 6 cm/ 2.5 inches
- Small star cutter or a piping nozzle
- 2 Baking sheets
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
Pastry (Note 1):
- 375 g all-purpose flour 13.2 oz/ 3 cups
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 200 g granulated sugar 7 oz/ 1 cup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 250 g unsalted butter cold, 9 oz/ 1 cup
- 1 egg white
- 125 g ground almonds 4.5 oz/ 1 ยผ cups
Icing:
- 100 g icing sugar 3.5 oz/ 1 cup
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice as needed
- some granulated sugar to decorate
Filling
- 150 g jam/ jelly of choice something slightly sour, 5.5 oz/ โ cups, Notes 2, 3
Instructions
Pastry:
- Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and vanilla sugar/vanilla extract in the food processor or stand mixer. Pulse to mix. 375 g all-purpose flour/ 3 cups + 1 teaspoon baking powder + 200 g granulated sugar/ 1 cup + 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.250 g unsalted butter/ 1 cup + 1 egg white + 125 g ground almonds/ 1ยผ cups
- 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 180ยฐC/ 350ยฐF. 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.100 g icing sugar/ 1 cup + 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.some 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 up a little bit.150 g jam/ jelly of choice/ โ cup
- 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
- Please use a kitchen scale in baking (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab); cup measuring is too inaccurate.
- 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, plums, raspberry, or blackberry jam.ย 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.