Episode 173: Winter Traditions: The Paradox of the Holiday and Advent Baking Book

Today on the podcast I continue my Winter Traditions series with a reflection from Candy Paull's Christmas Abundance book about the paradox of the holiday and a recipe for Christmas Swirl cookies from Anja Dunk's beautiful new book, Advent: Festive German Bakes to Celebrate the Coming of Christmas.

Weihnachts Roschen

Christmas Swirls

From Advent: Festive German Bakes to Celebrate the Coming of Christmas

By Anja Dunk

Makes about 40

200 g (1 ½ cups) plain all-purpose flour

50 g (⅓ cup) cornflour (cornstarch)

½ teaspoon baking powder

200 g (¾ cup plus 2 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temp, cut into ¾ inch cubes

80 g (½ cup plus 1 tbsp) icing (confectioners') sugar

Pinch of fine sea salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

About 80 g (3 oz.) raspberry jam

Heat oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with non-stick parchment paper.

Put all ingredients except the jam into the mixing bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat to a pliable dough on a low speed for a couple of minutes.

Slot a ⅜-inch star-shaped nozzle into a piping bag. Spoon the biscuit mixture into the bag, twist the top once it's all in and squeeze the dough down towards the nozzle from the twist.

Swirl circles of [dough] about 1 ½-inch diameter onto the prepared baking sheets. The biscuits spread a bit so be sure to leave ¾ inch space between each one. Press a finger into the centre of each swirl to create an indent. Spoon ½ teaspoon of jam into each imprint, then transfer to the over and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until light golden.

Leave on the sheets to cool for a minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. They are crisp when first baked but soften soon after and keep well for about 2 weeks in an airtight container.

Note: if you don't have a piping bag you can simply pinch off walnut-sized lumps of dough, roll them into a ball, flatten slightly, indent them in the centre with your finger and fill them with jam the same way.

Things We Mention In This Episode:

Advent: Festive German Bakes to Celebrate the Coming of Christmas

Christmas Abundance: A Simple Guide to Discovering the True Meaning of Christmas

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