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Snowflake Cookies

Prep
1 hr
Bake
12 min
Total
1 hr 12 min
Makes
40 pieces (approx.)

Ingredients

  • 1 stick plus 1 tbsp125 gunsalted butter or margarine (baking block)German butter is unsalted and has about 82 percent fat. In the US use unsalted butter; European-style unsalted butter is closest. In the UK use unsalted butter. The margarine is a firm block margarine with about 80 percent fat, used like butter: in the US use stick margarine or vegan butter sticks with about 80 percent fat (not a soft tub spread); in the UK, baking block margarine or vegan block butter (not a soft spread).
  • ½ cup plus 1 tbsp70 gpowdered sugarVery finely ground sugar for icings and dusting. In the US use powdered sugar (confectioners' sugar); in the UK, icing sugar.
  • ½ cup60 gall-purpose flourIn German recipes plain flour means soft wheat flour Type 405 unless stated otherwise. In the US use all-purpose flour; in the UK, plain flour.
  • 1 cup125 gcornstarchA fine starch, usually made from corn, used to thicken creams and lighten cakes. In the US use cornstarch; in the UK, cornflour.
  • 1 pinchsalt
  • 2 tspvanilla sugar1 packet = 2 tsp (8 g). Sugar flavored with real vanilla, sold in small packets of about 8 g. In the US use 1 tsp vanilla extract plus 2 tsp sugar for each 8 g packet; in the UK, vanilla sugar sachets from the baking aisle, or 1 tsp vanilla extract plus 2 tsp sugar per sachet.

Method

  1. Beat the butter until fluffy.

  2. Sift the powdered sugar, all but 2 tbsp, and mix it with the flour, cornstarch, salt and vanilla sugar.

  3. Add the dry ingredients to the whipped butter and knead everything briefly into a smooth dough.

  4. Chill the dough for at least 45 minutes.

  5. Shape the dough into cherry-sized balls and place them, well spaced, on 2 large baking sheets (about 16 × 14 inches / 40 × 35 cm; US half sheet pans, 18 × 13 inches, work too) lined with parchment paper. Press them flat with a fork.

  6. Bake in the preheated oven at 350°F (175°C), conventional (top and bottom heat), for about 12 to 15 minutes. Take the cookies off the baking sheet right away and let them cool on a wire rack.

  7. Once the cookies have cooled, dust them with a little powdered sugar.

From German Pastry Chef. Full recipe with photos: germanpastrychef.com/recipes/snowflake-cookies-2/