Spitzbuben are very traditional Swiss cookies available all year round in bakeries in Switzerland. For my family they are a MUST at Christmas! Traditionally these cookies are filled with redcurrant jelly, but I have also used lemon jelly which gives the beautiful crumbly dough a kick. Try them also with raspberry or apple jam.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- •150 grams (5 ounces/10 tablespoons) butter, at room temperature
- •350 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour
- •130 grams (2/3 cup) granulated sugar
- •5 ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla sugar
- •Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- •1 egg
- •15 ml (1 tablespoon) lemon juice
- •15 ml (1 tablespoon) lemon essence or lemon extract
For assembly:
- •100 grams (about 1/3 cup) lemon jam or lemon curd or redcurrant jelly or raspberry jam
- •Confectioners' sugar, as needed
Preparation
For the dough: Knead the ingredients for the cookie dough together. Cover and allow to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Roll the dough out very thinly (about 3-4 mm). Using a round cookie cutter, cut the dough into disks, and cut a hole in the middle of half of the disks. Arrange on baking sheets. Bake until very lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
For assembly: Let the cookies cool, then turn the whole bottom ones over and fill them with 2.5 cm (1/2 teaspoon) jelly or jam. Cover with a cookie that has a hole and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar. Store in an airtight container.
