Chocolate orange Christmas tree cookie
Saffron, orange and chocolate make this cookie a real Christmas treat. The very basic, classic mailänder cookie from Liechtenstein may not be the most exciting cookie, but it does mean that you can easily make tasty variations. I really like saffron and orange, but if you’re not a fan of strong tastes then just leave them out and you will still have a very tasty chocolate cookie. A heaped teaspoon of gingerbread spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves can lift this cookie to another level. You could add vanilla and cardamom for a Scandinavian touch or use ras el hanout for an Eastern accent. Whatever you decide to use, this cookie is perfect for a cup of hot chocolate, spiced tea or strong coffee. These little christmas trees are perfect for hanging in a real tree. They keep their shape well during baking, so just make a little hole in the top and choose a pretty string to thread through.
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Chocolate orange Christmas tree cookie
for about 20 cookies
125 grams (1 stick ± 1 tbs) soft butter
125 grams (½ cup) caster sugar
2 egg yolks
10 strands saffron, crushed
230 grams (2½ cups) flour
20 grams (2 tbs) unsweetened cocoa powder
grated rind of 1 organic orange
pinch of saltflakes
With a mixer beat the butter with the sugar ± 5 min. until light and creamy.
Add the egg yolks and the saffron and beat in well.
Add the flour, cocoa powder, grated orange and salt and quickly bring together into a soft dough. Leave in the fridge to rest and firm up for about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 185°C / 365°F. Roll out the dough to about ½ cm / ⅕ inch thick and cut out cookies with a cookie cutter. Bring the rest of the dough together, roll out and cut out cookies again. Continue until all the dough has been used.
Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Bake in the middle of the oven for ± 10 min. until done. Take from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet.
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