Spitzbuben: traditional Christmas Biscuits

Spitzbuben are one of the traditional Christmas treats found in almost every home in Bolzano-Bozen. Tradition has it that they are prepared at home together with children, with the baking process filling the house with the warm atmosphere of the festive season.

Ingredients

• 500 g cold butter
• 250 g sugar
• Vanilla, lemon zest
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 free-range egg
• 750 g flour
• 10 g baking powder
• Apricot or cherry jam

Preparation

Make a well in the flour on a pastry board and mix in the baking powder. Add the egg and egg yolk, sugar, flavourings and a pinch of salt, and lightly combine with a fork. Cut the cold butter into cubes and quickly work it into the dough with your hands until smooth. Wrap the dough in cling film and leave it to chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.

Roll out the dough to a thickness of approximately 3 mm. Using suitable cookie cutters, cut rings from roughly half of the dough and discs from the other half.

Bake the biscuits in a preheated oven at 200°C for approximately 8–10 minutes, until they are a beautiful golden yellow.

Allow the biscuits to cool. Spread the discs with apricot jam. Other jams, such as cherry jam, can also be used, adding a touch of red to the biscuits. Dust the rings with icing sugar and place them on top of the jam-covered discs.

Tip: The biscuits can be filled just before serving to prevent the jam from deteriorating. The biscuits can be stored for up to two weeks.

IMPORTANT: Always work with the shortcrust pastry immediately after taking it out of the refrigerator and work quickly; otherwise, it will become sticky.

Image: Spitzbuben, Courtesy Gallo Rosso- Roter Hahn