• Spitzbuben (German Jam Cookies)Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

  These are similar to Austrian “linzers.” This mild rich cookie dough is sturdy and also makes an excellent base for iced, decorated cookies. You really need a stand mixer to make these, as the dough is quite heavy and thick.

  Spitzbuben

  2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, room temperature
  2/3 cup sugar
  1 large egg
  3 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
  2 teaspoons salt
  3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  1/4 cup blackberry or other dark jam
  1/4 cup powdered sugar

  In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and salt. Slowly add the flour, a little at a time, until fully incorporated. Dough will be very thick.

  Form the dough into two balls, wrap each in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for about 30 minutes (if you must leave it longer than this, store it in the fridge instead).

  Set the oven racks at the top and lower middle levels and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Directly on ungreased, uncovered cookie sheets, roll out some of the dough until it’s about 1/4-inch thick. With a round cookie cutter, cut out as many cookies as you can, leaving about 1/2 inch of space between the cookies.

  Bake cookies 3 to 4 minutes, then reverse the cookie sheets, putting the one from the upper middle rack on the bottom rack and vice versa. Bake another 3 to 4 minutes. Cookies are done when they’re pale golden – do not let them brown. Remove cookies from oven and let them sit for a couple of minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.

  Melt the jam over very low heat on the stove. Brush about 1/4 teaspoon of jam over half the cookies and top these with the plain cookies. Dust cookies with powdered sugar and allow cookies to sit for at least an hour before serving, so that the jam sets. Makes about 2 dozen two-layered cookies.

• LINZER COOKIES

  MAKES ABOUT 3 DOZEN

  Although most of the recipes for Linzer Cookies I checked are basically the same, I will give credit for this version to Gale Gand, a professional pastry chef. I made a few changes, mainly in the instructions. These cookies are very good and would be perfect for a festive occasion or holiday. I could not find the origin of the cookie, but I do know that Linzer Torte, which uses all of the same ingredients in a torte form, originated in Austria. Typically, ground almonds and raspberry jam are used, but you could use a different nut or jam if preferred.

  INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-1/2 cups very finely ground blanched almonds (see notes below)
• 2-1/4 cups cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 6 ounces raspberry jam
• Confectioners’ (powdered) sugar for dusting

  Cream butter lightly with paddle attachment of standing mixer (or use hand mixer). Add sugar and cream until smooth. Add the egg, lemon rind, and vanilla. Mix until well combined. Add nuts and mix again. Stir together the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add to mixer and blend. Form into 4 disks; wrap and chill at least 1 hour or overnight. Preheat oven to 350° F. Roll out dough, one disk at a time, with floured rolling pin on a well floured surface to about 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 2 to 2-1/2 inch round cookie cutter, cut out disks. Cut out the centers of half the disks with a cutter in the shape of your choice, but not too large. (I use a 1-inch round cutter.) Re-roll the scraps or keep chilled until needed. (If the dough gets too soft while working, place in the refrigerate to chill again. It must be very cold to be workable.) Place cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes or until edges turn lightly golden. Cool on a wire rack.

  When the cookies are cool, sprinkle the halves with the cutout center with sifted confectioners’ sugar. Heat the jam in a small saucepan and spread the solid disks with a layer of the hot jam. Glue on the lids pressing down lightly. Let set before serving or storing. If storing, place in an air-tight container, separating the layers with waxed paper, and store for several days. Cookies may also be refrigerated or frozen for a longer period, but the look of the powdered sugar will change slightly.

  Notes: If desired, the holes on the top may be filled with a little more of the jam. Personally, I think it makes it a little too sweet and I like the look of the recessed centers. If you are grinding the nuts in a processor, be sure they are very fine but be careful not to process beyond that as they will turn into almond butter.

• ISLSKE DORTICKY1 1/2 hrnku hladke mouky
  6 lzic mouckoveho cukru
  3 lzice oloupanych a nastrouhanych mandli
  2 lzice kakaa
  1/2 kostky masla
  1 lzice ztuzeneho tuku
  1/2 balicku van. cukru
  nastrouhana kura z 1/2 citronu
  1/2 lzicky skorice
  liskove orisky na ozdobeni
  (nebo mandle)Napln : 3/4 hrnku liskovych orisku
  7 lzic piskoveho cukru
  2 lzice rumu
  1 lzice rybizove zavareninyPoleva : 1 tabulka cokolady na vareni
  1 lzicka ztuzeneho tuku

  Z mouky, cukru, van. cukru, kakaa, mandli, citronove kury, skorice, zmekleho masla a ztuzeneho tuku vypracujeme testo. Nechame jej v chladnicce asi 1 hodinu odpocinout. Pote z testa vyvalime plat silny 2-3 mm a tvoritkem z nej vykrajujeme mala kolecka. Klademe je na tukem vymazany plech a upeceme ve stredne vyhrate troube. Vychladla kolecka spojime naplni, potreme polevou a ozdobime orisky nebo mandlemi.
  Priprava naplne : Orisky oprazime na suche panvi, po vychladnuti je nastrouhame a pote utreme s cukrem, zavareniniou a rumem.
  Priprava polevy : Rozlamanou cokoladu rozpustime s tukem v horke vodni lazni.

• TIRAMISU2 philadelphie
  250 ml heavy whipped cream
  15 dkg cukru
  piskoty
  lzicka instantni kavy.POSTUP:
  Uvarime si 250 ml vody a pridame do ni lzici instantni kavy a nechame vychladnout. Mezitim Philadelphie umichame s cukrem, pridame vyslehanou slehacku. DO formy kladme piskoty namocene v kave a stridame s vrstvou kremu. Nahoru uz jen krem, ktery posypeme kakaem…nechame vychladnou v lednici aspon 8 hodin….
• RYCHLE KOKOSOVE CUKROVI

1 plechovka slazeneho kondenzovaneho mleka
1 balicek strouhaneho kokosu
1 bilek uslehany na pevny snih
1 lzice hladke mouky

POSTUP:
Zamichejte kondenzovane mleko, strouhany kokos a lzici mouky. Pote jemne vmichejte uslehany bilek. Pecte do zlatova.

• Perníčky tety Boži

Autor: Simča
Spotřeba:
na 300g hladké mouky 120g práškového cukru,
1 kávová. lžička sody,
2 – 4 polévkové lžíce kakaa,
50g mletých ořechů,
1 kávová lžička skořice,
1 kávová lž. mletého anýzu,
5 rozdrcených kuliček nového koření,
2 rozdrcené hřebíčky -> vše smícháme v míse.

Postup:
Ve 2 polévkových lžících mléka rozpustíme na plotně 130 g medu a po vychladnutí vmícháme 1 vejce -> tekutá část.
Do promíchyných sypkých věcí nalijeme “tekutou” složku a smícháme. Těsto pořádně rukama propracujeme a necháme do druhého dne uležet. Na válení vezmeme vždy cca 1/4, při válení podsypáváme moukou – zapracuje se jí ještě cca 50 – 100g.

Je to již generacemi vyzkoušený recept, který zatím každému chutnal. Tyto perníčky mají jen jedinou nevýhodu – musi se rozležet – nejlépe tak 3 týdny. Proto je pečeme pravidelně již počátkem prosince. Těsto používáme na drobné perníky i na chaloupky.