Bethmaennchen – Christmas Cookies from Frankfurt
Bethmaennchen are German cookies made from Marzipan, almond flour, powdered sugar and rosewater. The name comes from the family Simon Moritz von Bethmann in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. A legend says that the famous Parisian pastry chef Jean Jacques Gautenier developed the recipe at the Moritz von Bethmann’s home in 1838.
Whoever originated this recipe, the Bethmaennchen cookies were decorated with 4 almond halves that stood for the names of the four sons, Moritz, Karl, Alexander and Heinrich.
It is a legend because Herr Bethmann died already 1826, so the recipe must be older. Enjoy the traditional Bethmännchen Cookies and Happy Baking!
Ingredients Bethmaennchen
200 g almonds, peeled (100 g almond flour and 100 g almonds, blanched cut in halves)
200 g marzipan (raw) – European Style Almond Paste-
100 powdered sugar
1 tbsp rose water
50 g flour
2 eggs, medium
2 tbsp milk
Baking Instructions Bethmaennchen
If you use unpeeled, brown almonds you need to blanch them first
Find out How to Blanch Almonds – video shows how
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil.
- Place your raw almonds into the boiling water.
- Drain the almonds immediately in a colander or strainer and rinse them with cold water to cool them.
- Blot the almonds dry with a paper towel.
- Use your fingers to gently squeeze the almonds and loosen the skin from them.
–
– Grind half of the almonds to use as flour or use ready made almond flour.
– Cut remaining almonds in halves.
– Crumble or grate marzipan fine, mix well with rosewater, powdered sugar, egg, almond flour and flour.
– Form small walnut size balls out of the dough
– Place them on a baking tray layered with parchment paper.
– Mix 1 egg yolk with 1 tbsp milk and brush all over the balls.
– Press 3 or 4 almond halves on each side of the ball. If you cannot get blanched almonds that are pre-cut in halves just use one blanched almond and place it on the top.
– Bake in pre-heated oven for 15-20 min until golden, let cool off.
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The Weckman Season
In many parts of Germany the Weckman season starts with St. Martin’s Day. What is a “Weckman” you may ask? It’s a figure that is made out of yeast bread with raisin eyes and a smile and/or a clay pipe. Bakeries make them starting around St. Martin’s Day on Nov 11 until Saint Nicholas Day on the Dec 6th. It’s a lovely tradition that is missed so much!
This sweet bread speciality has many names which depend on the region where it is originated.
Rhineland/Saarland: Weckenmännchen
Southern Germany/Austria: Krampus
Switzerland: Grittibänz or Grättimaa
West Rhineland/Ruhrgebiet: Puhmann or Stutenkerl
Kleve: Klosmann
Eifel: Märtesmann or Piefeklos
Solingen: Böxepitte
Münsterland: Kiepenkerle
Mönchengladbach: Buggenmann
Bonn: Hirzemännenchen
RECIPE FOR MAKING A WECKMAN
The dough is good for 15 sweet buns, 15 raisins buns, 8 Weckmen or 1 sweet braided bread (Zopf).
Ingredients
500 g flour, all purpose, wheat
60 g butter
60 g sugar
7 g salt
35 g fresh yeast (see below) or 1 package active dry yeast
200 ml milk
1 egg
1 egg yolk for glazing
Baking Instructions
– Place flour into a bowl, add warm milk and mix in yeast, mix a bit with flour then let raise for 15 min.
– Add other ingredients and knead until dough is smooth and not sticky.Form to a ball.
– Let dough ball raise for another 20 minutes, covered and at a warm place.
– Knead again on a baking board and form the Weckmen: Use raisins for the eyes and buttons, place them on a baking tray layered with baking paper, let sit for another 20-30 min.
– Beat egg yolk and with a baking brush, brush it all over the dough, the Weckmen or whatever you are baking.
– Preheat oven to 220 C or 350 F and bake for 10-40 minutes (time is depending on what kind of bread you are making).
TIPS
– If you want to bake raisins buns mix about 120 g raisins to the dough.
Make the dough the night before. Place dough buns on a baking tray and keep in the fridge, cover it with a moist kitchen cloth. Bake in the morning and enjoy them fresh for breakfast.
– Use the dough as base for a prune or apple cake that will be baked on a deep baking tray.
VIDEO in multiple Languages – How to Make the Weckman
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5 Best Bakeries in Vienna, Austria
Are you planning a trip to Vienna, the capital of Austria? If so you have to make sure to visit the local bakeries because you will not get anything comparable in America. The bakery products are outstanding and are based on traditional recipes and baking methods. Of course there is the famous Sacher Cake that you shouldn’t miss neither but this one is featured in this article – Visit the Sacher Torte Article –
Bakery / Bäckerei Ströck
They are baking bread for more than 50 years, founded by Johann Ströck who started it 1922 as a very small bakery. Nowadays they operate multiple locations throughout Vienna, and they are the biggest bakery company in Austria.
—>Visit their Website<—
Ideenbäckerei Geier
This bakery is been run by the family Geier, now in the 4th generation, since 1902. Their specialties include the “Fein Backwaren” – “Krapfen” (Berliner) and the “Topfengolatsche”, pastry or “plunder” filled with quark. Visit them when you do a trip to Vienna, there are multiple locations. Choose from the Kaffeehaus, open on Sundays or with a garden.
—>Visit their Website<—
Joseph Brot
This bakery offers healthy breakfasts and breads since 2009, founded by Joseph Weghaupt. The bakery has become famous for their vegan and organic (Bio) specialties. So if you are visiting Vienna check out this place for a wholesome breakfast (there are multiple locations). —>Visit their website<—
Bäcker Joseph Schrott
A famous and traditional Bäckerei & Konditorei located in west Vienna, that was founded in 1885 and has now has at least 5 locations. Try their Nusskipferl… it’s made after a traditional family recipe. —>Visit their FB Page<—
Bäckerei Arthur Grimm
This historic neighborhood bakery is around since 1536. That’s more than 500 years. This is amazing! Their Salzstangerl are authentic and supposed to be the best ones in Vienna. —> Visit their website <—
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Authentic German Pfeffernusse Recipe for the Holidays
This is an authentic German Pfeffernusse recipe as you would find in Germany. German Pfeffernusse are traditional Christmas cookies and very popular. You can find them in any bakery or supermarket in Germany. Get some German tradition into your home with this recipe. The ingredient Hirschhornsalz, in English Hartshorn or Ammonium Carbonate, is a traditional Gingerbread (Lebkuchen) ingredient since hundreds of years and was originally taken from deer’s antlers. What is the difference to regular baking powder then? It makes the dough raise but not in height, it makes it wider. Happy Baking!
Ingredients Authentic German Pfeffernusse Recipe
(for about 20 pieces)
125 g honey
50 g sugar
2 tbsp butter
250 g flour, all purpose, unbleached
1/2 tsp Hirschhornsalz (Ammonium Carbonate)
Ammonium Carbonate (Baker’s Ammonia) 2.7 oz
1 egg
2 tsp ginger bread spice – Such as Edora Lebkuchen Spice, 1 package – 0.5oz
1/4 tsp white pepper (point of knife = Messerspitze, that is a tiny amount)
– How to Make Lebkuchen Spice –
1 dash salt
125 g powdered sugar
1 tbsp rum or natural rum flavor
Make someone Smile with this Special German Gift!
Baking Instructions
– Combine butter, honey and sugar, warm it until it has melted.
– Mix flour, egg, Hirschhornsalz and spices, add honey dough and knead it thoroughly with a hand mixer using the kneading hooks or use your hands.
– Form balls out of the dough and bake them on 190 C or 375 F for 12 minutes.
– Bake next portion only for 10 minutes.
– Make the glaze out of powdered sugar and rum and a bit of water by mixing all ingredients well until smooth.
– Spread glaze over the cooled off cookies and let them dry.
– These cookies are hard at the beginning. Keep them at least 2 days in a tin box with a piece of bread or a piece of apple aside; this will make the cookies soft.
If you like you can make a dark chocolate glaze and spread it on half of the cookies, and have the other half side white.
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German Terrace Cookies for Christmas
The German terrace cookies for Christmas are layered cookies hence the name, like a “terrace”. It’s a simple short crust dough and you need 3 different matching sizes of cookie cutters. They stick together by using jam. It’s a classic German Christmas cookies – Happy Baking!
Ingredients Terrace Cookies
For about 25 cookies
300 g flour
1.5 tsp baking powder, preferably Dr Oetker
100 g sugar
1 sachet vanilla sugar, 8g – Find it here –
150 g butter
1 egg
jam such as red currant jelly or grape jelly – any jam without seeds or fruit pieces works well
powdered sugar
cookie cutters in 3 sizes of the same design such as stars or hearts, size of 5cm, 4cm and 2.5cm, recommended are cutters with a serrated edge, called fluted cookie cutters
SEE A COOKIE CUTTER EXAMPLE HERE
Baking Instructions Terrace Cookies
– Combine flour with baking powder, add sugar, vanilla sugar, softened butter and the egg.
– Knead until you get a smooth dough that is not falling apart.
– Roll to a ball, wrap in plastic foil.
– Place for 20 min. into the fridge.
– Pre-heat oven to 175 C or 375 F.
– On a smooth surface that is dusted with flour roll the dough and cut out cookies, each cookie needs to have 3 different layers.
– Place all cookies on a tray that is layered with a piece of parchment paper.
– Bake them for about 10 min, check that they won’t getting brown.
– When done remove from oven and place on a cooling rack.
– Spread the jam starting with the biggest size, place the smaller on top, spread again jam and place the smallest on top.
– Dust with powdered sugar.
AVAILABLE NOW – The GERMAN CHRISTMAS BOX – CLICK PICTURE
TIPS
Instead of jam use Nutella or a hazelnut spread.
Top cookie could be a little star.
Instead of 3 layers make 4.
Decorate with melted chocolate lines.
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Halloween Recipes: Bloody Hands
It is time for great Halloween recipes like the Bloody hands recipe. It is an original German recipe but it is easy to make. You find all ingredients for the German Halloween recipes on LoveGermanfood.com, Amazon or in your local super market. This is for sure a scary dessert!
The hands are made out of Dr. Oetker Vanilla pudding and the blood is made out of raspberries with cherry juice. Happy Cooking and Happy Halloween!
Ingredients Halloween Recipes Bloody Hands
2 packages of Vanilla pudding Dr. Oetker – How to Make Vanilla Pudding –
1 liter milk
sugar as per instructions or to taste
For the Sauce:
250 g frozen raspberries or strawberries, 2 tbsp sugar, 100ml cherry juice
Cooking Instructions
– Fill pudding in 2 rubber gloves (without a powdery layer inside!). The best is to get some help of someone else. One person holds the glove, the other one pours the pudding into the glove. If you don’t have a helper, place the glove into a cup and pour the pudding in several steps and not at once.
– Close the gloves with paper clips, and keep them in the fridge for some hours so it will get firm.
– Put raspberries into a pan and bring them with sugar and juice to a boil; puree or mash them with a stick mixer, then let cool off. Place in the fridge for 3-4 hours.
– When the hands are completely firm hold them briefly in hot water so you can remove the plastic gloves.
– Decorate the hands on a plate and pour the raspberry sauce over them. Cut off some finger to make it look really dramatic.
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German Lebkuchen Bites For Holidays and Christmas
In Germany there is no Christmas without Lebkuchen. The German Lebkuchen Bites are an alternative to the the regular gingerbread cookies. Important is the Lebkuchen spice – that is a must add, like in the USA you add these specific spices to a pumpkin pie which create this unique taste we love. Happy Baking!
Ingredients German Lebkuchen Bites
Makes 45 pieces
70 g dark unsweetened or semi-sweet chocolate
200 g soft butter
200 g powdered sugar
2 eggs
70 g ground hazelnuts
1 tbsp baking powder, salt
2 tbsp brown rum or rum flavor
2 tbsp Lebkuchen spice or all spice
How to Make the Lebkuchen Spice –
250 g flour
2 packages cake glaze (in German it’s a so called Kuchenglasur) preferably white but dark one will be ok too; alternatively use white or dark unsweetened baking chocolate – Find the Kuchenglasur here –
50 g dried unsweetened apricots
The German Christmas Box Makes a Great Gift – Click here –
Baking Instructions German Lebkuchen Bites
– Chop chocolate with a knife and melt it by using the double-boiler method.
– Place butter in a big bowl and sieve powdered sugar over it.
– By using a hand mixer mix until bubbly.
– Add eggs, chocolate, hazelnuts, baking powder, pinch of salt, rum and spice,
– Mix until you get a smooth dough.
– Place baking paper on a baking tray and spread the dough evenly on it (about 1,5 cm thick).
– Bake it in preheated oven for 25 minutes on 160 C or 320 F.
– Remove the tray and let cool off thoroughly.
– With a round cutter cutter cut circles out of the dough; place them on a grid.
– Melt the glaze per instructions.
– Spread it over the bites, then decorate with small apricot pieces when glaze is still wet..
(Source: Essen und Trinken 11/1996)
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German Walnut Hearts Christmas Cookies
These German Walnut Hearts Christmas Cookies are a must bake for the holidays and Christmas. They contain walnuts, marzipan and are glazed with chocolate. These cookies are very easy to make and no special ingredients are needed. But it takes a while to make these cookies. Calculate 1-2 hours for making them. Happy Baking!
Ingredients German Walnut Hearts
(for about 30-40 cookies)
200 g butter
125 g powdered sugar
1 sachet vanilla sugar- Find it here –
– How to Make Vanilla Sugar –
1 egg yolk
60 g ground walnuts
300 g flour
400 g baking marzipan
powdered sugar for rolling the dough
apricot jam
400 g dark chocolate, semi-sweet or unsweetened
walnut halves for decoration
Baking Instructions Walnut Hearts
– Combine butter with powdered sugar, egg yolk, vanilla sugar and ground walnuts.
– Add the sieved flour and knead until you get a smooth dough. Form a ball and wrap in plastic.
– Let sit in fridge for 1 hour.
– Add flour on a baking board or smooth surface, roll the dough so you can cut out hearts, stars or round shapes.
– Pre-heat oven to 150 C or 300 F.
– Place cookies on a baking tray that is layered with parchment paper.
– Bake cookies for 15 – 20 min.
– When done let them cool off a bit.
– Knead the marzipan with powdered sugar, roll thin and cut out with the same form you used for the cookies.
– Brush on each cookie some jam, place the marzipan cookie on top.
– Melt chocolate in double boiler.
– Dip the surface into the chocolate or brush the chocolate on top. Latter might be easier.
– Decorate right away each cookie with half of a walnut.
VARIATION
You can make double decker cookies:
– On one base cookie add the jam, then marzipan cookie, more jam and add a cookie that had been dipped into chocolate.
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