Simple Viennese Christmas Cookies

Christmas is really just around the corner and I hurried-up a bit in baking these cookies as it´s just a few days left and we´re about to leave this weekend for our Christmas holiday... I have done a bit of packing here and there and the plants were set to get some lights from the window with its watering system..

For this recipe, I used the simple basic cookie recipe popular
in Vienna and they are really super easy to make. Even kids can help out, they´ll surely have fun if you make this into a family affair.......below is the recipe, dear friends.

Ingredients

250g Flour
175 g Butter, cubed
90 g granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
1 pack Vanilla sugar
grated rind of 1 lemon
marmalade ( here, I used strawberry & peach marmalade)
confectioner´s sugar


Instructions:

                                                  

1. Preheat oven to 180 ° C. Sift the flour on the work surface.
Place the cubed butter to the edge of the flour. Make a hollow-shape in the middle of the flour and add the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla sugar and grated lemon peel. Quickly knead all ingredients into smooth dough, make dough into a ball shape, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1/2 hour.

2. Roll out dough on a floured work surface. By using cookie forms , cut out various shapes, I used a thimble to punch a hole in the middle of the top cookie placing the cut out dough on lined baking tray. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes til slightly golden in color .

3. Allow to cool and then brush one cookie side with the marmalade of your choice. Put the second cookie with hole on top of the cookie with the marmalade thereby carefully closing both as in a sandwich. Arrange the cookies on a platter, sprinkle with confectioner´s sugar.

Happy Baking!

Wishing everyone a bright Wednesday ahead whever you are

 in your part of the world.

Vienna´s Christmas Lights

 

 

SACHER HOTEL 

 

Vienna is a very small city...despite the size, it attracts so much tourists everyday, be it summer or winter...

 It also attracts tourists and locals alike particularly during the Christmas season as the city is fully decorated with gorgeous Christmas lights and

 Christkindl markets as well to enjoy...

 

 

So let me show you what I mean.... this one here is in the city center called

Graben, a plaza that is adjascent to the St. Stephansdome.
 No matter how cold it is tourists, come and go...

They´ve designed the street lights to look like a big chandelier

It would make you feel as if you are in a big ballroom.

The Kaerntnerstrasse, the finest address in town where all exclusive shops

are located... My office is just a few steps away..

 

A shop vis a vis the State Opera... we have the all famous opera singers

performed at the Opera...such as the likes of Netrebko, Placido Domingo, Carerra,

Luciano Pavarotti ,Callas ( in her early days) and many more...

 

 

 

 

Even at night, the Center is full of tourists and shoppers...

I hope you have enjoyed the view of our Christmas lights.

 

I´m wishing you a joyous 2nd Sunday of Advent.

 

xoxo,

 

Mercy

Hazelnut Macadamia Cookies - Viennese Art

This is a traditional Austrian recipe..... I now started baking the cookies in
time for Christmas  and this one here is the first of the series....
 The recipe is easy to follow, once you have all the ingredients ready ,
 you´ve made half of the work...

  

 These cookies become soft when placed in a container tightly

covered and can last up to 10 days.

The macadamia used here as topping is a bit salty,

 but the flavor contrast between sweet and salty is interesting

 as you can savour more the nut flavor..

Hope you enjoy this recipe !

Hazelnut - Macadamia Cookies

Ingredients:

  300 g flour
200 g cold butter, cubed
100 g sugar or the equivalent Stevia powder ( artificial sweetener )
100 g ground Hazelnuts
1 Egg
1 pack Vanilla sugar
grated peel of 1 lemon ( organic or untreated)

For the filling: peach marmalade, macadamia nuts as topping

 Instructions  

1.
 Combine hazelnuts with flour, butter, sugar, egg, grated lemon peel
 and       vanilla sugar. Mix thoroughly with your hands, knead until
 a smoothdough is achieved.  Wrap it in plastic film or put the dough in
 a plastic bag and refrigerate  for about 1 hour.

2.

Pre-heat the oven at 190°C. Take out the dough from fridge
 and get a portion  of it and between your two Palms
 roll it into 1 cm finger size, 
 cut a Portion equivalent to a teaspoom from the 1 cm  dough roll
  and form each into a ball, repeat until the dough is used up....

arrange on an oven tray and  using the tip of the cooking spoon
 handle, press the middle of the dough for the marmalade
 filling later. 

Place the tray in the middle rack of your oven and
 bake for 7-8 minutes..

3.
 Cool down the baked cookies and using the tip of a tea spoon,
carefully fill each hole with peach marmalade and top it with 
a  macadamia nut.   Sprinkle with caster sugar ( optional)
and arrange each in a cookie box...    

 
                            ENJOY BAKING !