German Poppy Seed Marzipan Cookies with Jam Filling Recipe
These German Poppy Seed Marzipan Cookies with Jam Filling are a delightful Christmas treat featuring a buttery poppy seed shortbread base paired with a piped marzipan topping. The cookies are sandwiched with a flavorful spiked jam, offering a perfect balance of nutty marzipan, aromatic poppy seeds, and sweet jam. A traditional German Christmas cookie recipe that impresses with its lovely look and exquisite taste.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes (including chilling/resting time)
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: German
Ingredients
Scale
For the Poppy Seed Shortbread Base:
- 150 g marzipan (about 2/3 cup)
- 350 g softened butter (1 1/2 cups)
- 155 g powdered sugar (1 1/4 cups), divided
- 1 pinch salt
- 12 drops almond essence (strength depends on brand, use to taste)
- 2 eggs
- 500 g flour (4 cups), divided
- 50 g cornstarch (4 tbsp)
- 150 g poppy seeds (1 cup, finely ground)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1–2 tbsp milk
- 3 tbsp rum (optional)
- 200 g jam (1 jar) – your favorite variety
Instructions
- Prepare Template for Piping: Select a round cookie cutter and lay it on a large piece of parchment paper. Trace multiple circles to use as a guide when piping the marzipan topping, ensuring it matches the size of the shortbread base.
- Make the Poppy Seed Shortbread Dough: Grate 50 g of marzipan. In a stand mixer, beat 150 g softened butter and the grated marzipan for about 3 minutes. Gradually add 75 g powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, and half the almond essence, then continue whipping for 2 more minutes. In a bowl, mix 200 g flour with 50 g cornstarch and 50 g ground poppy seeds. Add one egg to the butter mixture and blend, then incorporate the flour mixture, mixing until combined.
- Chill the Dough: Place the dough on cling film, cover with another layer, and shape into a disk. Refrigerate for about 2 hours or up to 2 days ahead.
- Make the Piped Marzipan Dough: Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Beat 200 g softened butter with the remaining marzipan until creamy. Add 80 g powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, leftover almond essence, and vanilla extract while beating. Incorporate one egg.
- Add Dry Ingredients & Liquids: Mix 300 g flour with 100 g ground poppy seeds. Add this dry mix to the marzipan butter blend along with milk (1-2 tbsp) and 1 tbsp rum (optional). Beat until a smooth paste forms.
- Pipe the Cookies: Fill a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle with the marzipan paste. Pipe small circles onto the parchment paper guided by the traced circles. Secure the parchment corners to the baking tray with small blobs of dough to prevent movement.
- Freeze and Bake Piped Cookies: Freeze the trays with piped cookies for about 8 minutes to help them keep their shape. Bake for 10 minutes; cookies should not brown much. While baking, pipe and freeze additional trays as needed.
- Roll and Cut Shortbread Cookies: Reduce oven temperature to 175°C (350°F). Roll out the rested poppy seed shortbread dough to about 3 mm thickness. Use the same cookie cutter to cut out rounds. Place on lined baking trays.
- Bake Shortbread Bases: Bake the cut-out shortbread cookies for 8 minutes, avoiding browning.
- Cool and Assemble: Let both cookie components cool. Whisk the jam with rum if using. Spread about 1/2 teaspoon of jam onto each shortbread cookie and top with a piped marzipan cookie. Press gently to sandwich.
- Store: Keep the cookies in a tin in a cool place. They improve in flavor over 1 to 2 weeks as the jam softens the cookies.
Notes
- Ensure butter and eggs are at room temperature for best results.
- Almond essence strength varies by brand; use cautiously to avoid overpowering marzipan flavor.
- Freezing piped cookies before baking helps them retain their shape and achieve the perfect look.
- Cookies taste best 1 to 2 weeks after baking, allowing jam to tenderize them.
Keywords: German Christmas cookies, marzipan cookies, poppy seed cookies with jam
