December 8th
2009
To my left, I see cookie recipe notes, magazine rip-outs and baking books piling up in huge bulks, all furnished with the obligatory Post-It stickers to single out potential Christmas cookie candidates. On my right, a huge stainless-steel tin, which was a Christmas gift itself, some years ago, filled to the brim with already baked cookies. And I’m not making any progress on this post, at all. My attempt of typing gets continuously interrupted by grabbing yet another Pepparkakor or Wespennest or getting a top-up on my cup of Yasmin tea.
But I doubt that I will try more than one, maybe two new Christmas cookie recipes this season, just like I did over the last years. The reason is simple – too many tried and tested recipes are waiting for their single annual red carpet appearance. Because we live by the most important Christmas cookie rule of all: December it has to be. You don’t bake these in March or September, thus ensuring that your appetite for Vanillekipferl or Basler Brunsli is alive and kicking as soon as the final month of the year approaches.
These spritz cookies have occupied a safe spot on our cookie plate for ages, the recipe is an old Word print-out with significant stains and handwritten updates & notes, that doesn’t reveal its origin at all. Once you’ve managed to pipe the rather tough dough onto the trays (I love to use these, but this year one “exploded” and left me with a mess), the aroma arising from the oven already gives away these cookies’ potential. And I didn’t use “melt in your mouth” for no reason.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°Fahrenheit). Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Cream the butter with a handheld mixer or KA until smooth, then gradually add the sifted confectioners sugar and the cinnamon and keep beating for at least three minutes. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and keep beating for two more minutes.
In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking powder, cocoa and ground hazelnuts, before adding this mix as well. Beat just until evenly combined, then fill the dough into a pastry bag with a star-shaped tip and pipe short stripes (about 6 cm/2,5 inches long) onto the parchment paper lined baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let rest a couple of minutes before carefully moving the cookies (they are fragile!) and placing them on a wired rack until cooled off completely. Meanwhile slowly melt the chocolate couverture over a bain-marie while continuously stirring and dip the cocoa sticks’ ends in the chocolate. Let drip off excessive chocolate (sprinkle with chopped nuts, if desired) and let dry on parchment paper (or on a silpat mat). Store in an airtight container, they keep for a couple of weeks.
Cocoa hazelnut spritz cookies
Recipe source: own creation
Prep time: ~15 minutes, Baking time: 8-10 minutes
Ingredients (yields 2-3 baking trays):
225 g butter (at room-temperature)
100 g confectioners sugar
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 egg yolks (large)
200 g all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
40-50 g unsweetened cocoa powder
75 g ground hazelnuts
150 g chocolate couverture
optional: finely chopped pistachios (or other nuts)
MMMhhh, Spritzgebaeck ist fuer mich das allerleckerste Plaetzchen. In grossen Mengen wird der Teig durch den Fleischwolf gedreht und nach dem Backen die Enden in Schokoglasur getunkt...... Diese Schokoversion werde ich diese Woche noch probieren !!!!! Frohe Weihnachten und gelungenes Backen an alle Leser!
Nicky, these look really lovely - wish I could enjoy some right now with my coffee...
Bei uns zusammengepappt als Nougatstangen - um mit Herrn Beckenbauer zu sagen "we call it a Klassiker" ;-) Ich röste die Haselnüsse immer an, gibt einen besonders feinen nussigen Geschmack.
These are so pretty. I'm trying to figure out which cookie press disc I could use to try them, or if I would just stick to the pastry bag. They are really lovely. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Normally, I am not a big fan of Spritzgebäck, but your combination with pistachios is convincing, not only visually :-)
How gorgeous and delectable. I have to try these.
These are just beautiful! I made a similar cookie this weekend but without any cocoa in the batter, and I just love the contrast yours have between the dark cookie and the green pistachios on top!
I simply love the cocoa hazelnut combination. These are definitely on the Christmas cookie list this year. Splendid!
this is sounds utterly amazing and can't wait to try this out! however- what is "ground hazelnut" is it flour? is it chunks of hazelnut?
Nicky: Yes, it's more like hazelnut flour.
Wow. These are totally gorgeous! Definitely copying and putting on my cookie list!
Oh wow, I am drooling...
I am addicted to both pistachios and chocolate so these look like my perfect cookie
I've made them last night, just couldn't resist! Replaced hazelnuts with flour though, didn't have any. They are DELICIOUS! I ended up with other shape though as 2 (!) pastry bags exploded while squeezing. :) There 's a picture here.
Nicky: Hi Olga, so glad you like them! And I'm sorry your pastry bags behaved like mine ;) But I really like your solution, they look very pretty!
Ohmy that looks sooo good!
The photo with the pistachio sprinkled cookies is absolutely gorgeous!
I rarely try new Christmas cookie recipes because my family refuses to allow new things on holidays - they like it when I make their "safe" favorites!
I might try to sneak these in though - I love the combination of chocolate and hazelnuts.
ps: I'm so happy to have found your website - it is so beautiful.
Before christmas i usually try not to eat too many sweets. Difficult though, with such nice recipes. I get very tempted to try this one.
These look so beautiful... and the description just kills me. Melt-in-your-mouth. And with pistachio? Divine - thank you so much for this recipe!
these look absolutely amazing! i will definitely be making them this holiday season :) thanks for the recipe!
That looks perfect! I love it :)
oh my. and here i was, just about to give away our spritz gizmo. i've never been a fan of spritz, or chocolate cookies, for that matter -- always too bland, too generic, too ho hum. But these look outstanding. And we do have a rather vocal nutella contingent over here... Thx! Molly
Very festive delicacies for the holidays! Yum!
Oooo...my mother is German and I grew up eating these at Christmas every year. We dipped the ends in melted chocolate and nuts too, and sometimes, finely powdered peppermint candycanes! So delicious!
Welche Spritztüllen hast Du verwendet? Für meine ist der Teig viel zu fest - kommt nix raus :-(
Nicky: Hallo Julie, also ich hab ganz normale Spritztüllen aus Plastik und aus Metall. Mein letzter Durchgang wurde mit Platiktülle gespritzt, wenn der Teig zu fest ist, macht das aber keinen Unterschied, ob Metall oder Plastik, oder? Und ja, der Teig ist schon ziemlich fest, sonst wäre mir auch nicht (zum wiederholten Mal) die Spritztüte geplatzt... Wenn er Dir aber wirklich so fest geraten ist, dass Du ihn überhaupt nicht spritzen kannst, dann nimm' das nächste Mal etwas weniger Mehl/Haselnüsse. Allerdings verwende ich das Rezept wirklich in der genauen Zusammensetzung, hast Du die zimmerwarme Butter auch lange genug schaumig gerührt und L-Eigelb genommen?
The best part is when you bite off the first chocolate drenched end and know that there'll be a second one coming soon. :) And trying not to get your fingers covered in it. Yummm
Thanks for the pictures. These are simple cookies you can make with minimal ingredients. They make a great choice for a busy housewife.
Auch ich habe Probleme mit der Spritztülle. Ich habe es auch damit probiert, einfach zwei der drei Eiweiß am Ende drunterzurühren. Das Ergebnis schmeckte auch gut, aber war auch nicht leichter zu spritzen. Dann bin ich dazu übergegangen, einfach Häufchen mit Teelöffeln zu formen. Gibt Abzüge in der B-Note, aber schmeckt auch sehr gut. Übrigens lassen die sich auch sehr gut mit Vollkornmehl machen.
These were the first christmas cookies I baked this year and my family loves them. The dough is a bit hard to work with, but the results are very good. I dipped them in white chocolate and don't think they will last till christmas :))))
I am now into baking and I am really starting to like it! Thanks for sharing! I would start making soon and perfect it.
These are delicious! I made them last night and they came together perfectly. I piped them onto the cookie sheets using my spritz machine fitted with the decorative piping nozzle instead of trying to use one of the disks. The cookies looked just like the picture. Well, a little more crooked, I'm out of practice :) Thank you so much for this recipe, it's a classic!
There are only three words I can think of that can describe this recipe and they are all begin with D. Delicious, Delectable, Divine
Christmas time, cookie time. Love it! Beautiful pictures, a post that makes me smile and a mouthwatering recipe. But what else could I expect from Nicky? :)
Sehr, sehr lecker die Kekse! Aber spritzen ging bei mir auch gar nicht. Habe den Teig in Folie eingeschlagen, gekühlt, in der Folie zu einer Rolle gerollt, nochmal gekühlt, und dann dünne Scheiben geschnitten. Ich denke da habe ich weniger Nerven bei gelassen. ;-) Dennoch Danke für das Rezept, denke ich mache es nächstes Jahr wieder.
They look so pretty and easy! I made them recently but they spread a little bit and did´t keep the shape I hardly made with my pastry bag. Do you know what could go wrong?
Nicky: Maybe your dough has gotten to warm? Has happened to me with regular Spritz Cookies...
Super! Tatsaechlich "melt in your mouth".
Vielen Dank fuer das Rezept und die Anregung, Ich kam, sah, und habe gegessen...
Wow! These look truly scrumptious, I can't wait to make them, thank you and Merry Christmas x
wow these came out perfect!! definitely not as pretty as yours but i was so happy with the outcome and will be making them again for sure. the flavor was amazing and they were also nice and light & just fell apart in your mouth. thank you for the recipe!!
I don't care if it is January already - I HAVE to bake these cookies! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Combining chocolate & hazelnut sounds like a winner to me!
This is a very nice recipe that I have tried and proven to be a real hit with my family. Thank you very much for sharing with us this recipe and posting nice pics too.
Oh my...They really look so delicious that even I still have the savory chocolate-orange brownies I baked at the weekend, I cannot wait to bake these cookies tonight. Thanks for sharing:)
Greetings from the Kitchen of Oz