Sunday, December 21, 2014

Plätzchen (Xmas Cookies).


Stars and crescents
create galaxies of sweet. 

Powdered sugar clusters, 
hazelnut comets,
orbit dishes
brought out for this special occasion.

After the holidays
only crumbs speck this universe.

...

Ochsenaugen / Sandwich Cookies

time 15 minutes preparation, 2 hours chilling, one hour cutting and baking, 30 minutes finishing
yields around 70 cookies (around 2.5cm in diameter)

400g all-purpose flour
200g butter, room temperature
3 (60g) egg yolks
100g sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. vanilla zest
50g ground hazelnuts

filling

150g strawberry jam
juice of one lemon

100g powdered sugar

Place the flour in a large bowl. 
Cut the butter into small cubes and spread on top of the flour. 
Make a indentation in the middle of the flour and add the rest of the ingredients.
Knead everything until it comes together as a smooth dough.
Form into a flat ball and let chill, covered, for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 390°F.
Roll out thinly, around 2-3mm and cut out rounds and rounds with holes in them to make sandwich cookies with the jam after baking. 
Place on a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes.
Let cool completely, then put tops and bottoms together.
Sift the powdered sugar over the sandwich cookies to cover them in a thin layer.
Heat the jam with the lemon and boil up once.
Let cool slightly, then using a funnel or a pastry bag (careful, hot!) fill the sandwich holes. 
Let cool and enjoy.


Nougatkipferl / Gianduja Crescents

time 20 minutes preparation, 3-4 hours chilling, 45 minutes shaping and baking, 30 minutes finishing 
yields around 50 crescents

100g butter, room temperature
200g gianduja (nougat / hazelnut chocolate)
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. himalayan salt
300g all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder

200g semi-sweet chocolate
50g coconut oil

Cream butter and gianduja until smooth.
You might have to soften both in the microwave.  
Add the egg, vanilla and salt and mix until smooth. 
Knead in the flour and baking powder until the dough comes together completely. 
Form into a flat ball, wrap in plastic wrap and leave to chill for 3-4 hours.
Preheat the oven to 190°C/ 375°F.
Divide the dough into two halves and roll out each one into a thin log. 
Cut into 6cm long pieces and roll into small crescents 'Kipferl'.
Place on a baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes until they brown slightly. 
Remove from sheet and let cool completely before dipping the ends in chocolate.
For the chocolate:
melt both the chocolate and coconut oil and mix to emulsify.
Let cool until 32°C/ 90°F.
Dip the ends of the crescents in the chocolate and set on a silicon mat or baking paper to harden.


Vanillekipferl / Vanilla Cresents

time 20 minutes preparation, 2 hours chilling, 45 minutes shaping and baking, 15 minutes finishing
yields around 50 crescents

50g ground almonds
50g ground hazelnuts
300g all-purpose flour
100g granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. himalayan salt
200g butter, at room temperature
2 egg yolks
1 vanilla bean, scraped

100g powdered sugar
30g granulated sugar, ideally vanilla sugar

Place the flour and ground nuts in a large bowl. 
Cut the butter into small cubes and spread on top of the flour. 
Make a indentation in the middle of the flour and add the rest of the ingredients.
Knead everything until it comes together as a smooth dough.
Form into a flat ball and let chill, covered, for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 190°C/ 375°F.
Divide the dough into two halves and roll out each into a thin log.
Cut into 5cm long pieces and roll into crescents.
Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden-brown.
Still warm, transfer them carefully into the powdered sugar mixed with the granulated sugar and either toss to coat or dust the crescents with the help of a sieve.
Let cool.