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➤ by Oma Gerhild Fulson
Bethmännchen cookies are among the traditional German Christmas cookie recipes. These cookies were originally created to honor the Bethmann family.
Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg was the Chancellor of the German Empire in the early 1900's. Why three almonds on top of these cookies?
Because the Chancellor had three sons.
If you love marzipan, you'll love these Bethmännchen, because that's one of the main ingredients.
You need to purchase marzipan for this. It can be found in the baking sections of most grocery stores and, of course, at German delis. With its high sugar content, marzipan will keep almost indefinitely.
(Not in our house, though. We so enjoy it, it keeps disappearing!)
Here is one of my most favorite recipes using Marzipan. Be sure to try it out! It's a great recipe for the holidays.
It is possible to make your own marzipan. It really is just a mixture of ground almonds, powdered sugar, and rosewater.
My Mutti had a recipe she made that also included mashed potatoes. It helped to decrease the cost, since almonds were very expensive.
However, because it's not a real marzipan, I wouldn't use it to bake with. It works fine for decorating or just eating. It was made with mashed potatoes, almond extract, and powdered sugar.
Get ready for Christmas! Grab your copy of Oma's collection of her favorites in Christmas Cookies e-Cookbook.
Take a peek at all Oma's eCookbooks. They make sharing your German heritage a delicious adventure!
There's one hint that you'll definitely need when making these cookies. When you are rolling the dough into little balls, keep moistening your hands with water so that the dough won't stick.
If you love marzipan, you'll love these Bethmännchen, because that's one of the main ingredients. Bethmännchen cookies are among the traditional German Christmas cookie recipes. These cookies were originally created to honor the Bethmann family.
With their three sons, these cookies are topped with three almonds.
Prep Time
20 minutes |
Bake Time
20 minutes |
Total Time40 minutes |
Makes about 3 dozen
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Pop right over to my private Facebook group, the Kaffeeklatschers. You'll find thousands of German foodies, all eager to help and to talk about all things German, especially these yummy foods.
I pop in all the time as well, to chat and to answer questions.
Meet with us around Oma's table, pull up a chair, grab a coffee and a piece of Apfelstrudel, and enjoy the visit.
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For the full recipe, scroll up ...
Words to the Wise
"When people's lives please the Lord, even their enemies are at peace with them."
Proverbs 16:7 (NLT)