Mandelhörnchen, also known as German Marzipan Cookies, are a staple german dessert.
They’re crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Naturally gluten free, this cookie consists of mostly ground almonds (so you could also argue that it’s keto friendly as well!) with egg whites, sugar and Marzipan.
Even though this cookie has it’s own unique texture after it’s baked, the sliced almonds and chocolate glaze on the cookie add a pleasant mouthfeel to the cookie.
Ingredients for Marzipan Cookies
The ingredients for Mandelhörnchen are very straightforward.
- Marzipan: You will need about 16 oz. of Marzipan for this cookie. Use this recipe here for approximately 16 oz. of Marzipan to use in this recipes.
- Almond Flour: The basis for this cookie is ground almonds. Don’t have any blanched almond flour at home? Make your own by throwing blanched almonds in the food processor.
- Lemon Juice: Adding an acid to the dough will help balance the sugar and almond flavoring in it.
- Powdered Sugar: The powdered sugar will give the cookie its distinct texture. Want to make this recipe keto? Just swap out the powdered sugar for powdered swerve.
- Egg Whites: Egg whites act as a great binder for this cookie. After chilling the dough in the fridge for a while, the dough will firm up even more.
- Garnishes: Adding slivered or sliced almonds and a chocolate glaze give this cookie its distinct look.
How to Make Mandelhörnchen (German Marzipan Cookies)
Making these German marzipan cookies is as easy as making the dough and then rolling them out.
Pulse the Marzipan, almond flour and powdered sugar together. Then add in the egg whites, lemon juice, vanilla extract and salt. Once the liquid are added, the dough will come together quickly. The dough shouldn’t be overly sticky. If it is too sticky, add some more almond flour to the mix.
After the dough is made, oil your hands with a neutral cooking oil so the dough doesn’t stick to you, and roll the dough into one inch balls. Chill the balls in the fridge for 2 hours. The dough can be made up to 3 days ahead of time.
After your dough balls have chilled, roll them out into ropes and dredge the ropes through the egg wash and then through the sliced almonds. Place the cookie on a greased baking sheet in the desired shape. Make sure to work quickly during this step. It’s best to work with the dough balls when they are chilled. As they come to room temperature, so does the butter that is in them, and they will become more difficult to work with.
Traditionally, these German horn cookies are shaped into just that, horns. There are slight variations of the horn shapes you might see, and you should shape the dough into whatever is easiest for you.
After you are happy with your shapes, bake your cookies at 350 F. for 10 minutes. The Marzipan cookies will be slightly golden brown when they are done. Remove and transfer to a wire rack to let them cool.
Chocolate Glaze
Making a chocolate glaze for these cookies is much easier than it sounds.
Add about a cup of chocolate chips and a tablespoon of butter to a microwave safe container. Microwave in 10 second intervals and stir between intervals until the chocolate is liquid.
Once the cookies cool, dip the ends of the horns into the melted chocolate and then set them on a cooling tray to allow the excess chocolate to drip off. The chocolate will dry in about 10 minutes.
These cookies can be made in steps. If you want to make the cookies but don’t have the chocolate, you can make the cookies and make the chocolate glaze the next day just before serving.
Once the chocolate is dry, your cookies are ready to eat! They are best the day they are made but these German Marzipan cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
When to Serve Mandelhörnchen
Traditionally, these German Marzipan cookies are served during the holiday time, specifically Christmas. Serve them as a special treat for breakfast with a large mug of hot chocolate or coffee. You can also save these cookies as a Christmas Eve dessert.
Even though these cookies are generally seen more around the holidays, there’s no reason you can’t make them year around. You will often have to go to a specialty German bake shop if you are in the U.S. to find these cookies, so it is best to make them yourself if you have a hankering for them.
Mandelhörnchen (German Marzipan Cookies)
Course: DessertCuisine: GermanDifficulty: Medium16
servings10
minutes10
minutes320
kcalMakes 16 cookies.
Ingredients
16 oz 16 marzipan (use the recipe here)
2 egg 2 whites
juice from one lemon
1/2 tsp 1/2 salt
2 cups 2 powdered sugar
1 tsp 1 vanilla extract
2 cups 2 blanched almond flour
1 1 egg
1 cup 1 slivered almonds
Directions
- Pulse the almond flour, powdered sugar and Marzipan together in a food processor.
- Add in the vanilla, egg whites, lemon juice and salt. Pulse together.
- Make 1 inch balls with the dough and chill for at least two hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. and grease a baking sheet.
- Roll the balls into ropes and dredge them through the egg wash and then dredge through the sliced almonds.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
- Once cool, dip the ends of the horns into the chocolate glaze and transfer back to the wire rack.
- Once the chocolate is dry, serve. Or store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
