Friends! I have started and stopped no less than 10 newsletters over the past several weeks. Every time I start to write to you, I become convinced that I am the most inarticulate person this world has ever known and that it would be better just to be quiet. Now it is December 8th. Are you enjoying every single glowy minute of this festive month? Are you overwhelmed and stressed by the incessant gift guides and holiday menus and cookie boxes and outfit inspirations? Or have you just…checked out? This year I belong squarely in the last group.
Today, feeling briefly sheepish about it, I acquiesced and made this bouquet of grocery store amaryllis and some assorted piney, evergreen-y stuff (the actual Linnean name) from the florist next door. And this afternoon we are taking our children to a Christmas market at a little local farm with timed entrance tickets; I think we’re all hoping to be out of there by nightfall which is at, like, 4:15 pm these days. But that’s as far as I’m going to go. We have no wreath hanging on the door, no Erzgebirgische Pyramide carefully unwrapped and set up, no electric lights on the balcony, which is usually as low-effort as it gets, no holiday cards and—German mothers, look away!—this year we bought our children their Adventkalendar (Star Wars Lego, if you must know, which was desperately wished-for by both children). We’re not even listening to Christmas music. And, aaahhhh, it feels good!
I did bake a few batches of cookies “with” the boys, simple roll-out ones that they decorated with the treasure trove of cookie deco (sanding sugar, edible silver spray, sprinkles galore) my friend Sandy bequeathed me before she moved from Berlin to DC this past summer, leaving a Sandy-sized hole in my heart. The recipe, an adaptation of this one, is a step-up from regular sugar cookie dough. It incorporates a whole chunk of almond paste into the velvety dough and includes a bit of almond extract to underline the marzipan-y flavor. It’s so easy to make and really nice to roll out and cut. The finished cookies are tender and fragrant and a delight to eat.
We decorated the cookies with regular icing (you can flavor it with more almond extract or a fillip of ground cinnamon, for example), royal icing and with a chocolate drizzle. The chocolate drizzle tastes especially good with the almond-flavored cookies, but of course offers fewer artistic possibilities than the other two icings. You must decide which is more important to you: flavor or beauty. No pressure! Either way, these are very low-effort cookies. I recommend them for all of you who are currently in the same checked-out camp as me.
Marzipan Sugar Cookies
Makes about 50
For the cookies:
200 grams/7 ounces almond paste
120 grams/8 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 large egg
120 grams/1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
240 grams/1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
50 grams/1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Place the almond paste and butter in a mixing bowl and, using a handheld mixer, beat together until well-combined and fluffy. (This only works if your almond paste is fresh and soft. If it has dried out, grate it into the bowl with the butter with the large holes of a box grater and mix to combine.)
Add the salt, almond extract and egg to the bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until creamy and well-combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
In a separate bowl, sift together the powdered sugar, flour and cornstarch together. Add to the butter and beat until creamy and well-combined. Depending on the temperature of your kitchen and ingredients, you may find that your batter looks more sandy than creamy after beating; don’t worry. You’ll find that as soon as you press it together with your fingers, it becomes a cohesive mass.
Scrape or dump the cookie dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and wrap tightly, patting into an even round or square. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24.
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Divide the cookie dough in half and return half to the fridge. Roll out the other half of the dough, lightly floured if necessary, to about 1/16th-inch/2-mm thickness.
Cut out cookies with cutters of your choice and place the cookies on the prepared sheets, leaving about 1/4 inch between cookies. Bake for about 10 minutes, until dry to the touch but not yet starting to take on much color. Remove from the oven and let cool for a minute before transferring cookies to wire cooling racks.
Repeat with the remaining dough.
When the cookies have completely cooled, either drizzle them with melted chocolate mixed with a little bit of coconut oil for shine or decorate them with royal icing.
Dearest, lovely Luisa,
It’s a difficult year to be festive as there isn’t much good will among men. ❤️ to you.
Luisa, lovely cookies! Years ago you helped me find the recipe for my daughter's favorite german hot breakfast cereal, and we both remain grateful for that (and the recipe has a spot in our rotation). But I totally feel you on the Christmas stuff! This year I am living by myself in France (sabbatical), with the family arriving to celebrate together next week. My intention of decorating has not materialized into decorations, but I did find an old string of lights in my flat. That will just have to do - and I know I will find joy in my simple holiday.