Description
Sweet german poppy seed marzipan cookies combine nutty almond paste with fruity jam centers. Delicate pastries from Germany offer rich, complex flavors that delight palates with elegant simplicity.
Ingredients
Scale
- 350 g (12.3 oz) softened butter
- 500 g (17.6 oz) flour
- 150 g (5.3 oz) marzipan
- 150 g (5.3 oz) finely ground poppy seeds
- 155 g (5.5 oz) powdered sugar
- 2 eggs
- 200 g (7 oz) jam (your favorite flavor)
- 50 g (1.8 oz) cornstarch
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsps rum (optional)
- 1–2 tbsps milk
- 1 pinch salt
- 12 drops almond essence
Instructions
- Marzipan Butter Blend: Grate marzipan and mix with softened butter until smooth and creamy, creating a uniform base for the cookie dough.
- Sugar Incorporation: Add powdered sugar, salt, and half the almond essence to the butter mixture, whipping until light and fluffy.
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Sift together flour, cornstarch, and ground poppy seeds, ensuring a fine, even texture for the dough.
- Dough Formation: Integrate an egg into the butter mixture, then fold in dry ingredients to create a cohesive dough. Wrap in cling film, shape into a disk, and refrigerate for two hours.
- Oven Preparation: Preheat oven to 190°C and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Piping Mixture Creation: Cream remaining butter and marzipan until smooth. Blend in powdered sugar, salt, remaining almond essence, and vanilla extract.
- Piping Batter Refinement: Whisk in the second egg, then fold in flour and ground poppy seeds. Add milk and rum to achieve a silky piping consistency.
- Cookie Shaping: Transfer batter to a star-tipped piping bag and pipe circular designs onto prepared sheets. Freeze for 8 minutes to stabilize.
- Initial Baking: Bake piped cookies for 10 minutes, maintaining a pale, delicate appearance. Roll out chilled shortbread dough and cut matching rounds.
- Base Baking: Bake shortbread bases at 175°C for 8 minutes until lightly set. Cool completely.
- Jam Filling Preparation: Whisk jam with remaining rum to create a glossy, spreadable consistency.
- Assembly: Spread rum-infused jam on shortbread bases, then gently place piped cookies on top, pressing lightly to secure the delicate sandwich.
Notes
- Chill Dough Strategically: Refrigerate the shortbread dough for exactly two hours to develop rich flavor complexity and prevent excessive spreading during baking.
- Precision in Piping: Use a star-tipped piping bag and freeze the piped cookies briefly to maintain intricate design details and ensure crisp, clean edges.
- Rum-Enhanced Flavor: The rum addition isn’t just for moisture; it intensifies the marzipan’s almond notes and adds sophisticated depth to the jam filling.
- Temperature Control Matters: Maintain lower oven temperatures (175-190°C) to preserve the delicate texture and prevent browning, keeping the cookies tender and pale.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: German
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 22
- Calories: 205
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 30 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg