Liachtaschtaanerli

Whether it's spitzbuben, macaroons or something chocolatey, baking is part of the holiday season. With this classic recipe for cookie cutters, even little bakers can join in.

Ingredients (for approx. 20 - 50 pieces)
150 grams of wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
50 grams of sugar
1 packet vanilla sugar
100 grams of soft butter or margarine
lemon zest of half a lemon

For decorating
100 grams of powdered sugar
2 teaspoons of water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
sugar pearls, snowflakes or the like

Prepare
Line baking sheet with baking paper. Preheat oven.
Top/bottom heat about 180 °C
convection oven about 160 °C

Prepare the dough
Mix flour with baking powder in a mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix everything with a mixer (dough hook) first briefly on lowest, then on highest speed to form a dough, then shape into a ball. Roll out the dough to about ½ cm thick on floured work surface, cut out motifs, place on baking tray and bake. Baking time: about 12 min.

Decorate the cookies
Gradually mix powdered sugar with just enough water and lemon juice to make a thick icing. Color some of the icing with food coloring to taste. Coat the cookie cutters with the icing and decorate with pastry decorations and sugar pearls.

Teeringli: An old family recipe

This old, somewhat lesser-known recipe will help even the most Christmas-averse get into a reflective mood.

Ingredients (for 8 people)
200 grams of sugar
2 small eggs
300 grams of flour
60 grams of peeled, spelled almonds
1/2 sachet baking powder
2 pinches of salt
zest of 1/2 lemon
125 grams cold butter
1 egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon of water
mixture of 30 grams of sugar and 40 grams of peeled, grated almonds for sprinkling

Preparation
Cream sugar and eggs with a mixer until the mixture is light in color. Mix flour, almonds, salt, baking powder and lemon zest and rub in butter flakes, add sugar - egg mixture and quickly combine into a soft dough. Then wrap the dough in foil and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Roll out the chilled dough between two sheets of baking paper (alternatively with some flour) to a thickness of 5 mm. Cut out small rings and place them not too close to each other on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Brush the rings with the egg yolk/water mixture and sprinkle the sugar/almond mixture on top. Refrigerate the ready-to-bake Teeringli again for at least 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C and bake the cool Ringli for 10 - 12 minutes until very light yellow.

Karin's "Weihnachtskrömle

This recipe comes from Karin at the LoVino wine bar in Vaduz. The Krömle in South American style go perfectly with any tea or coffee.

Ingredients for the dough
250 g soft butter
250 g sugar
3 eggs
3-4 tablespoons of milk
1 pinch of salt
500 g flour
powdered sugar (as needed)

Ingredients for the filling
340g sweetened condensed milk (can)

Preparation
Mix the soft butter and sugar well in the bowl. Gradually add the eggs and the milk. Then add a pinch of salt and slowly knead the flour into the dough until it separates from the bowl. If necessary, you can add a little more flour. Now wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, the filling can be prepared. Remove the label from the condensed milk can and place the closed can in a pot of water. Cover the pot and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours. Keep checking to make sure there is still enough water in the pot.

While the condensed milk can is simmering gently, the oven can be preheated to 160° (convection oven). Roll out the dough to about 4-5 milimeters and cut out any shapes so that they can be placed on top of each other. Please note that you always need at least two of each shape. Place the Krömle on the baking paper and bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes. Make sure that the Krömle do not turn brown.

After baking, let the Krömle cool down a bit and immediately put them in a box to prevent them from drying out. If the condensed milk has already been in the simmering water for 1.5 to 2 hours, the tin must be allowed to cool. When cool, open the can and pour the caramel-colored cream into a piping bag. Squirt the cream on half of the cooled Krömle and then place the other half of the Krömle on top. And the delicious Krömle in South American style are ready. If necessary, dust the finished Krömle with a little powdered sugar.