German Christmas Cookies
Discover my favorite German Christmas cookies, inspired by family traditions and years of baking in my kitchen.
Equipment
- pastry brush
- cookie cutter shapes
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 300 g all-purpose flour
- 200 g cold butter
- 100 g powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- Pinch of salt
For the icing
- 500 g powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup egg whites
- 1 tbsp water , plus more if needed
- food color , for coloring
Instructions
- Add the flour, powdered sugar, and salt to a large mixing bowl and mix to combine. Add the cold butter, cut into small cubes, and the egg. Mix everything until a smooth dough forms.
- Knead everything together with your hands just until a smooth dough forms, being careful not to over-knead it, as this can make the cookies tough. Once the dough is ready, refrigerate it for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the chilled dough to about 1/4 inch (5–6 mm) thick. Using your favorite cookie cutters, cut out different shapes from the dough.
- Carefully transfer the cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving a little space between each one.
- Gather any leftover dough, gently bring it back together, and roll it out again to cut more cookies.
- Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
- While the cookies are in the oven, prepare the icing. Combine the icing sugar and the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Beat on low speed first, then increase to medium-high and mix for about 1 minute, until the icing is smooth, thick, and glossy.
- Divide the icing between small bowls, depending on how many colors you want to make. Add a few drops of food coloring to each bowl and mix well. If the icing becomes too runny, just mix in a little more powdered sugar to thicken it.
Notes
- Keep the butter cold: Cold butter helps create a tender, delicate cookie. Work quickly when mixing the dough so the butter doesn’t soften too much.
- Don’t overwork the dough: Knead only until the ingredients come together into a smooth dough. Overworking it can make the cookies less tender.
- Chill the dough: A short rest in the refrigerator makes the dough easier to roll and helps the cookies keep their shape while baking.
- Let the cookies cool completely: Make sure the cookies are fully cooled before decorating; otherwise the icing can melt or become runny.
- Adjust the icing slowly: Start with a small amount of water and add more only if needed. It’s much easier to thin icing than to fix icing that has become too runny.