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I have never really been a big fan of Swiss biscuits, Christmas or otherwise. In all fairness, I haven’t really sampled too many because, quite frankly, they are not always the most appealing when lined up next to the fancy American cookies or British biscuits. When presented with the choice between a cookie oozing with morsels of chocolate and aLäckerli, the latter doesn’t stand a chance, despite the fact thatLäckerliis derived from the German wordleckerwhich means delicious. Indeed,Läckerli– a hard, spiced biscuit made from hazelnuts and honey – is delicious, but just not my everyday biscuit of choice.
Just last week, my lovely neighbours from downstairs knocked on my door to present me with a gorgeous little box filled with homemade Christmas cookies. They had busied themselves the previous day with some leisurely baking and icing of cookies, a day which has since been recounted with much humour after it was found that the only cookie cutters they had were of a dolphin and a penguin. A knock on another neighbours’ door and a further cookie cutter was added to the collection – a mushroom. And so explains the Christmas cookies which were given to me which, at the time, appeared to be a cute but an unusual collection of shapes for this time of year. But I didn’t give it to much thought as I proceeded to devour most of the cookies later that afternoon. Although I had wished that I had been at home when they were in need of some Christmas cookie cutters (given my modest but rarely used collection), their cookies were obviously made with much love and thought, and there is much charm in a dolphin cookie at Christmas, I think 🙂
Amongst their selection of homemade treats were someBaumnuss-Guetzli, a Swiss seasonal cookie (Guetzli) made from ground walnuts (Baumnuss). They are a rather wholesome-looking cookie, flecked with different shades of brown and are traditionally glazed with a frosting flavoured with Kirsch. They are sweet and chewy in taste, almost like a macaroon, and taste very similar to the ItalianRicciarelliwhich are made with ground almonds. In short, they are delicious.
If you are not a fan of Kirsch, you could leave it out of the glaze. I had thought about making a lemon icing instead which would go very nicely with the sweetness of the cookies, but I didn’t want to deviate too much from the traditional recipe. Well, not yet anyway 🙂
This recipe comes from Betty Bossi, a popular figure in Switzerland who has a vast array of cookbooks aimed at simple but tasty recipes. Her cookbooks in Switzerland have a similar cult status to the Australian Women’s Weekly cookbooks in Australia – there is at least one to be found in each home. Stories abound about how some of her recipes are so popular that it is not uncommon to be invited to a Swiss person’s home for dinner and recognise the dish that the host has prepared.
Betty Bossi has been around since the late 1950’s, inspiring Swiss housewives (and husbands) to recreate Swiss classics at home, as well as modern and international cuisine. She is perhaps the most successful businesswoman in Switzerland with a multi-million dollar empire spanning from the aforementioned cookbooks to popular kitchenware and bakeware, and also pre-prepared meals and other food products. She is the Martha Stewart of Switzerland, if you will. Incredible given that Swiss women were only granted the right to vote in 1971 and could only recently open their own bank account. Alas, she is fictitious. Phew. Such a feat achieved by a “real” woman in Switzerland would have been an incredible story, but the history behind the creation and nurturing of the fictitious Betty Bossi is both intriguing and entertaining.
These walnut Christmas cookies are a Swiss classic, something which has slowly prompted in me a change in heart about Swiss cookies in general. And for that, I am grateful to my wonderful neighbours downstairs.
Gluten Free
- Author: eatlittlebird.com
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 30-50 cookies
Recipe adapted from Backen in der Weihnachtszeit by Betty Bossi
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Ingredients
For the cookies
- 2 egg whites
- pinch of salt
- 225 g (8 oz) ground walnuts
- 150 g (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) ground hazelnuts
- 200 g (⅔ cup plus ¼ cup) caster sugar
For the glaze
- 150 g (1 cup plus 1 tablespoon) icing sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon water
- 1 ½ teaspoon Kirsch
- walnut halves to decorate
Instructions
- Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they are stiff.
- If ground walnuts are not available where you live, simply place the same weight of whole walnuts in the food processor and blitz until they are finely processed.
- Add the ground walnuts, ground hazelnuts and sugar to the egg whites, and mix everything together to form a sticky dough.
- Roll the dough out between two sheets of baking paper until it is about 1cm thick.
- Use a cookie cutter of your choice (e.g. flower, Christmas tree, star) and cut out your shapes, re-rolling the mixture as needed.As the dough is fairly moist and sticky, you might need to use a palette knife or spatula to lift the cookie shapes.
- Place the shapes on a sheet of baking paper and leave them to dry for about 6 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Bake the cookies for about 10-12 minutes, until they are lightly browned.
- Cool the cookies on a wire rack.
- Make the glaze by whisking together the icing sugar, water and Kirsch. Gently dip one side of the cookies into the icing mixture and let any excess icing drip off.
- Place the iced cookies on a wire rack and decorate with a walnut halve.
Kitchen Notes
VARIATIONS
As a slight variation, you can also use ground almonds in place of the ground walnuts and ground hazelnuts.
OVEN TEMPERATURES
All recipes on this website state temperatures for a regular oven (i.e. a conventional oven without fan). If you have a convection oven with a fan, please consult the manufacturer’s handbook on how to adjust the temperature and baking time accordingly.
CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.
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Swiss Walnut Christmas Cookies
The Swiss Walnut Christmas Cookies, also known as Baumnuss-Guetzli, are a traditional Swiss seasonal cookie made from ground walnuts and hazelnuts. These cookies are sweet, chewy, and traditionally glazed with a frosting flavored with Kirsch, a cherry brandy. They are similar in taste to the Italian Ricciarelli, which are made with ground almonds. The recipe for these cookies comes from Betty Bossi, a popular figure in Switzerland known for her vast array of cookbooks aimed at simple but tasty recipes. Her cookbooks have a cult status in Switzerland, similar to the Australian Women’s Weekly cookbooks in Australia. Betty Bossi has been inspiring Swiss housewives (and husbands) since the late 1950s to recreate Swiss classics at home, as well as modern and international cuisine. She is often referred to as the Martha Stewart of Switzerland, with a multi-million dollar empire spanning from cookbooks to kitchenware, bakeware, pre-prepared meals, and other food products .
The recipe for Swiss Walnut Christmas Cookies includes the following ingredients and instructions:
- Ingredients:
- 2 egg whites
- Pinch of salt
- 225g (8 oz) ground walnuts
- 150g (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) ground hazelnuts
- 200g (⅔ cup plus ¼ cup) caster sugar
- For the glaze: 150g (1 cup plus 1 tablespoon) icing sugar, 1 ½ tablespoon water, 1 ½ teaspoon Kirsch, walnut halves to decorate
- Instructions:
- Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff.
- Add the ground walnuts, ground hazelnuts, and sugar to the egg whites, and mix to form a sticky dough.
- Roll the dough out between two sheets of baking paper, cut out shapes, and leave them to dry for about 6 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and bake the cookies for about 10-12 minutes until lightly browned.
- Make the glaze by whisking together the icing sugar, water, and Kirsch. Dip one side of the cookies into the icing mixture, let any excess icing drip off, and decorate with a walnut halve .
These cookies are a Swiss classic and are a delightful addition to the holiday season, offering a unique and delicious treat for festive gatherings and celebrations.
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These concepts are essential in effective communication and public speaking, contributing to the overall impact and success of a speech or presentation.
By incorporating these concepts, the article not only provides a delightful recipe for Swiss Walnut Christmas Cookies but also indirectly highlights the importance of effective communication and engaging an audience through various speaking techniques and strategies.
