We have a massive collection of Christmas Cookie recipes in Central Europe.
Seriously, you would be surprised by the number of different cookies our ancestors were able to create in time.
From spiced Lebkuchen, to soft Coconut Cookies and Sugar Baiser, the choice is endless!
Coming from a rich Christmas Cookie tradition, I am still surprised at times by new cookie discoveries.
This is because many cookie types and variations are typical regional traditions, but the Internet revolutionized everything, and we get to discover new cookie recipe ideas and so it came that I stumbled upon a German cookie variation known as Bethmännchen.
Bethmännchen are sweetened marzipan-based cookies decorated with 2 almond halves and finished with a bright appetizing layer of Egg yolk.
The name Bethmännchen comes from the family of Bethmann and apparently, these cookies originated in Frankfurt Germany.
Once upon a time, there was a city counselors wife and her 4 sons.
She would make these Cookies and decorate 4 sides of the cookie with halved & peeled Almonds.
One son was diseased and from that day onwards she would only decorate 3 sides of the marzipan cookie and that is the way they are still decorated.
Since we always make big amounts of different cookie variations just before Christmas, we end up a bit tight in time.
In that case, quick but great-tasting cookies can save my pre-Christmas preparations enormously.
Bethmännchen is super easy to make if you have marzipan, honey, and peeled almonds waiting for you in the kitchen.
Raw marzipan can be commonly bought in stores in Europe but if that is not the case in your area then you always have the option to make your own easily at home and for that, I will be sharing here a step-by-step guide on how to make homemade marzipan.
I hope you will enjoy the recipe as much as we do.
You can’t go wrong with the preparation so if you have kids then this is a great fun activity to celebrate the merry time of the year.
Even if the kids nibble the cookie dough before it is baked, it’s alright because marzipan can be safely eaten raw.
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Bethmännchen Cookies
Ingredients
- 400 grams Marzipan
- 3 Tablespoons Honey
- 90 Almond halfs peeled
- 2 Egg Yolks
Instructions
- First peel your almonds by keeping them soaked in water over night or you prepare a small pot with boiling water and drop them into the boiling water for minimum 30 seconds or until you can see the skin is detaching from the nuts. Half your almonds and keep aside.
- Chop your Marzipan paste into smaller bits and add the honey. Mix it all well to a smooth dough.
- Form the dough into a smooth long and lean roll and cut off one inch pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and form them all into cone like shapes with 3 sides.
- Preheat your oven to 180 Celsius!
- Keep your almonds ready and the mixed egg yolks.
- Carefully push on each marzipan piece on all the three sides 3 halved almonds but so that the almond peaks are on top. Brush your Bethmännchen with the egg yolks.
- Bake for about 10-13 minutes in the oven or until the peak of the cookies are changing light brown.
- Let cool and store in a cool and dry place. In a cool climate store in a metal box + Apple skin to keep them moist. In a tropical climate store in a airtight container.
I absolutely adore marzipan esp niederegger. So these cookies are a must make for me.
These are so gorgeous Helene. I just love these cookies. Thanks so much for being such a great part of Cookie Week. xx
What a delicious cookie. I love marzipan and all things almonds, so I will definitely try these beauties!
These cookies are so cute! I have never heard of them before, very cool!
These are very delicious!!! I baked a batch last year, but didn't come out as good as yours.
I've never heard of these before, but the recipe sounds delicious! And I love the story behind them.
Lovely little cookies... the only problem... I would eat the whole plateful. 🙂
Hi Helene, Those are cute cookies and are so easy to make. Thank you for sharing 🙂
What interesting little cookies! I love marzipan and almonds so I bet these cookies would disappear very fast in house!
These look just perfect for popping straight in my mouth, Helene! I was just recently researching how to make homemade marzipan and it looks quite straightforward. I look forward to your instructions.
Love it!
I liked this recipe so much, its so easy and so much tasty as well, thanks for sharing such a nice recipes.Nice photography,intresting.
I didn't see the recipe for homemade Marzipan anywhere, as stated would be. Did I miss it?
no you didn't. It will be live in the next days.
Helene, I love this idea! How easy to make and they look elegant on your plate!
G'day Helene, your cookies looks great, true!
Thank you for today allowing me to learn something new!
Cheers! Joanne
My daughter is going to flip for these. She, and I, love marzipan!
These are such delicious and cute cookies, I could eat one batch in a second 😀
Cheers
CCU
Great tip on how to peel almonds! And a great cookie. You really do come from a heritage of excellent cookies - we want more, more! 😉 (Kidding - you share quite a lot of cookie recipes.) Anyway, really like these - thanks.
Didn't know aobout this but it sounds so good and looks cute with almonds presed to the marzipaan like that, we hav esomething like this made with almonds but in balls and we call it potato 🙂 planning t do that for my blog in christmas time.
These cookies are so cute!! I love the story behind them, even if it is a little bittersweet. I don't work with marzipan very often, is it really pretty simple to make from scratch? (Did you say you had a recipe for it and I just missed it here?)
oooooh!!! such pretty little cookies!