Christmas is next week, but being here in Florida I never feel that Christmas spirit.
Although I have grown up in tropical climes I actually have spent more than half of my life in Europe.
I have spent Christmas everywhere in the Continent, where it means, frosty cheeks and nose, chestnuts roasting, gloves, scarves, hot drinks….. the coming of Christmas means the smell the wafts around is just so intoxicating….

These Christmas cookies are one of my favourite, spitzbuebe means little rascals. Last time I have baked these was long way back 2005 the last time I remember that I did not work on Christmas.

This recipe was taken from an old recipe collection of Betty Bossi, the Betty Crocker of Switzerland.
Betty Bossi is fictitious kitchen character created by Emmi Creola-Maag.

I have not spent any Christmas in Switzerland, the closest Swiss Christmas I have experienced was with some Swiss people I have met in Aspen, Colorado. But at home many moons ago, the Swiss cheese would bake these for me.

I have learned the craft of baking these delicate cookies, the rolling, the cutting is all worth it as these spitz buebe are so delicate and buttery.

To do this try using a good butter.To add more Swiss character to these “little rascals” I went out of the way to look for a Swiss raspberry jam. I did find a Heio one.

Here is the recipe once again…. I have given some of these cookies to close friends here in Ft Lauderdale and they all love it.

200 butter
125g icing sugar
1 egg
350 g flour
1 tsp lemon juice
raspberry jam or apricot
1) Whisk butter until smooth, add sugar and stir until creamy
2) Add the rest of the ingredients
3) Work it together till you form a soft dough
4) Cool in fridge for 1 hr at least
5) Roll dough flat about 5mm and cut with round cookie cutters (for every cookie cut out a pair with a hole in the centre)
6) Lay on greased tray and bake for 15 mins
7) Spread the cookie with jam and lay the pair on top
Sprinkle with powdered sugar