Chocolate Coated Spritz Cookies from Alsace

Did you know that before getting into the Christmas spirit, the French from Alsace and Lorraine first get ready for the feast of St Nicholas Day, on December 6^th? Just like in Germany and most Western Christian countries, St Nicholas Day is a big celebration in Alsace, with the inclusion of many baked cookies, known as bredeles.

Last year, I shared with you two bredele recipes: the Speculoos and the Almond Pistachio Crescents. But the truth is, these Spritz (reminiscent of the German Spritzgebäck) are probably my favorites, and I make it a tradition to bake them every year around this time. They’re crisp, buttery and half-coated in chocolate.

Cooking notes:

• “Spritz” derives from the German word ”spritzen” which means “to squirt”. This comes from the fact that spritz cookie dough is traditionnaly “squirted” out of a cookie press. You can also use a piping bag (like I usually do), with an attached star-shaped nozzle.
• Right after half-dipping the spritz cookies into the melted chocolate I like to sprinkle them with crushed pistachios to add a little festive note. You can also opt for crushed hazelnuts, almonds, coconut flakes, confetti, etc… or just leave them as is.

Chocolate Coated Spritz Cookies from Alsace

Print Recipe

Serves: 18-20 cookies Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 8 minutes 8 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 3.5/5

( 8 voted )

Ingredients

½ cup/ 1 stick (125g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup (130g) sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
125g ground almond
2 eggs
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp (5g) baking powder
½ tsp salt
100g chocolate (dark, milk chocolate or semi-sweet)
Optional: Crushed pistachios for decoration.

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 350F (180C) and prepare 2 parchment-lined baking sheets.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter (with a spatula or electric whisk) with the sugar and vanilla extract until fluffy. Add the eggs and mix until just incorporated. Add the ground almond and mix until the dough is homogeneous and soft.

Add the flour, salt and baking powder and mix until just incorporated. The dough should be soft enough to be “squirted” through a piping bag but firm enough that the cookies will hold their shape.

Transfer the dough into a piping bag fitted with a star-shaped nozzle (or use a cookie press). Pipe out the dough into 2-inch (5cm) long sticks, onto the baking sheet, while leaving at least 1 inch (3.5cm) space between each one.

Bake for 6-8 minutes until lightly golden. Cool on the baking sheet for 3-4 minutes and gently transfer onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate over a “bain-marie” (in a heat-proof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water). Dip the cookie halfway into the melted chocolate and gently transfer onto a cooling rack. Optional: Immediately sprinkle with crushed pistachios and cool completely for the chocolate to harden.

Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

If you try this Chocolate Coated Spritz Cookies recipe, let me know! Leave a comment or share a photo using #pardonyourfrench on Instagram.

Bon Appétit!

A recipe inspired by Taste of Home, Marmiton and Sally’s Baking Addiction. 

If you like French cookies, you might like: 

• Speculoos Cookies
• Salted Butter Breton Sables 
• Almond Pistachio Crescent Cookies
• Eggnog Madeleines