Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 250 g all-purpose flour, sifted
- 100 g almond flour, fine ground
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 150 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 lemon, zested
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 2 g salt
Lemon Glaze
- 120 g powdered sugar, sifted
- 20 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 88 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbohydrates
- 11 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 22 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 13 mg
- Potassium
- 31 mg
- Calcium
- 10 mg
- Iron
- 0.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 9 mg
- Phosphorus
- 23 mg
- Zinc
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 28 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 0 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.01 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.04 mg
- Niacin
- 0.2 mg
- Folate
- 4 mcg
- Water
- 5 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the granulated sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the freshly grated lemon zest and rub the mixture together with your fingertips until the sugar resembles wet sand and becomes highly fragrant.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, and salt to ensure even distribution.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the room temperature unsalted butter with the lemon-sugar mixture on medium speed until the mixture is exceptionally pale and fluffy.
Add the room temperature egg and vanilla extract to the creamed butter. Mix on medium speed until fully incorporated, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed just until the flour disappears and a soft, cohesive dough forms. Do not overmix.
Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, shape it into a flat disc, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the butter to firm up and the flour to hydrate.
Preheat the oven to 175 C (350 F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the chilled dough to a thickness of about 4 millimeters. Cut out shapes using your preferred festive cookie cutters and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 centimeters of space between each cookie.
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the edges are just beginning to turn a pale golden brown.
Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice until a smooth, opaque glaze forms. Use a pastry brush to coat the tops of the completely cooled cookies, then let them sit until the glaze hardens.
Chef's Notes
- Rubbing the fresh lemon zest directly into the granulated sugar is a critical technique that forces the zest to release its volatile essential oils, creating a significantly deeper and more aromatic citrus flavor than simply folding the zest into the batter.
- For the cleanest edges on your cut-out cookies, lightly dip your cookie cutters in all-purpose flour before each press, and press straight down without twisting the cutter as you pull it back up.
- Almond flour provides a wonderfully tender and rich crumb, but lacks gluten structure. Resting the dough allows the all-purpose flour to fully hydrate, ensuring the cookies hold their intricate shapes without becoming tough.
- If your kitchen environment is particularly warm, place the baking sheets holding the raw cut-out cookie dough into the freezer for 5 minutes right before baking. This guarantees sharp, defined edges that will not blur in the oven.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Raw dough can be kept in the refrigerator tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.
Freezer: 3 months — Baked and glazed cookies freeze exceptionally well in airtight containers layered with parchment paper.
Troubleshooting
Dough is too crumbly and cracks excessively when rolling
Cause: Butter was too cold when rolling or dough dried out in the refrigerator
Fix: Knead the cracked dough gently with warm hands for a minute until it becomes pliable again
Prevention: Measure flour accurately by weight and ensure dough is tightly wrapped while chilling
Cookies lose their shape and spread out during baking
Cause: Dough was too warm when entering the oven, causing the butter to melt before the starches could set
Fix: Cannot be fixed once baked, but ensure subsequent batches are thoroughly chilled before entering the oven
Prevention: Chill the cut-out shapes on the baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes before baking
Cultural Context
Plaetzchen are traditional German Christmas cookies baked in countless varieties throughout the entire Advent season. Families in Germany often dedicate whole weekends to baking massive batches of these delicate biscuits, storing them in decorative metal tins to share with visiting guests or gift to neighbors. The combination of sweet almond and bright lemon in this particular variation offers a highly refreshing contrast to the heavier, spice-laden treats like Lebkuchen that typically dominate holiday cookie plates.
