Czech Christmas Cookies

Pre-Christmas holiday rituals found cookes preparing baked goods made of such tidbits as nuts, spices and dried fruits in the Middle Ages. With the celebration that became the basis of our western Christmas holiday traditions, Lebkuchen became the first traditional Christmas cookie. According to the following excerpt from McCall’s magazine:

Some of our favorite recipes, with happy holiday wishes from your Bridge editors!

German Honey Cookies

(200 cookies)

Combine:

3 oz. Each: citron, candied orange peel and candied lemon peel pieces

1 cup (225 g) chopped almonds

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

3 tablespoons cinnamon

1 tablespoon cloves

3 1/3 cups (800 g) confectioners sugar

Beat and add:

6 eggs

¼ (60 g) cup orange juice

Bring to boil and cool until lukewarm:

1 (1/2 liter) pint honey

2 tablespoons water

Stir into egg mixture with:

5 cups (1100 g) flour

1 tablespoon soda

Cover the dough and let it stand for at least 12 hours.

Heat oven to 350/175 degrees.

Drop batter from a teaspoon on greased baking sheet. Decorate with almonds. Bake until light brown. If you wish, you can decorate cooled cookies with a lemon glaze made of 1 ¼ cups confectioners sugar, ¼ cup lemon juice and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Pfeffernu(umlaut)sse

(3 dozen cookies)

Preheat oven to 350/175 degrees

Cream together:

½  (115 g)cup flour

½ cup (115 g) sugar

2 eggs

Sift and add:

1 cup (225 g) flour

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon soda

½ teaspoon each: ground pepper, nutmeg, cloves, allspice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cardamon

1-3 drops oil of anise

¼ cup (60 g) ground almonds

1 ½ tablespoons grated lemon peel

¼ cup (60 g) chopped citron

Drop the dough from a teaspoon onto a greased cookie sheet. Space cookies 5 cm apart. Bake 10-12 minutes.

Cinnamon Stars

(4 dozen cookies)

Preheat oven to 300/150 degrees

Whip 5 egg whites with 1/8 teaspoon salt

Gradually add 2 cups (450 g) confectioners sugar and whip well.

Add: 2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

Whip constantly.

Fold 1 pound (450 g) ground almonds into half the mixture. (Hold second half for top glaze.)

Lightly dust a pastry board with confectioners sugar. Pat dough to 1/3 inch/1 cm  thickness. Dust palms with confectioners sugar while working with the dough. Cut the dough with star cutters. Glaze with the reserved half of the mixture. Bake on greased cookie sheet 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

dough

300g flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

140g sugar

2 packets vanilla sugar

a little salt

2 eggs

100g butter

topping:

200g butter

200g sugar

4 tablespoons water

200g ground hazelnuts

200g chopped hazelnuts

200g chocolate icing/frosting