Spitzbuben! Literally translated it means: bratty little boys. But the cookie definition goes something like this: best ever cookie you will put in your mouth this holiday season. Guys I’m serious. I’ve never claimed any one of my recipes to be the “best ever”. For years I’ve been saving up to say that now specifically for this post. That’s how seriously the best these cookies are. Never mind the fact that my mom has made them every year as long as I can remember and her mom before that and her grandmother before that. It’s the one holiday tradition that stays constant – we may not always have a tree or exchange gifts or prepare the same menu but we always make these cookies. I lost track on how many batches my mom and I made on this day, we were rolling dough, cutting out, baking, jam sandwiching all day like little elves in a workshop and yet, the quantity never meets the demand. My in-laws are now obsessed and start asking about them around Thanksgiving. We even send some to our relatives in Germany, which seems a bit ironic but they are the best!
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Step 1
Grind up the nuts in your food processor.
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Step 2
Add all the ingredients – except the jam into your kitchen aid – butter should be cold. Mix the dough until it starts sticking together and you can easily form it into a ball with your hands.
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Step 3
Roll out dough on floured surface. Not too thin but not too thick, as shown. Cut out the cookies and place on seasoned cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven at 375F for 15 minutes until just very light brown around the edges.
Ingredients for the Spitzbuben
250 grams butter
125 grams hazelnuts or almonds, ground
375 grams flour
180 grams sugar
1 pack vanilla sugar
your favorite tart jam – raspberry, blackberry and currant are all good
+ additional sugar for dusting with another pack of vanilla sugar mixed in
Directions
Grind up the nuts in your food processor. Add all the ingredients – except the jam into your kitchen aid – butter should be cold. Mix the dough until it starts sticking together and you can easily form it into a ball with your hands. Roll out dough on floured surface. Not too thin but not too thick, as shown. Cut out the cookies and place on seasoned cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven at 375F for 15 minutes until just very light brown around the edges. Let cool only slightly and gently (they are super fragile here) flip them one by one into the sugar and spread on a bit of jam. The heat from the cookie cooks the jam slightly and sets the sandwich so work quickly and carefully!
Notes
These cookies keep really well and are perfect for gifting. We usually make them around Thanksgiving and keep them in a tin or air-tight container until Christmas!