Brabant cakes – delicate Christmas cookies with an unknown origin

This lesser-known candy is a unique way to enhance Linzer cookies without using jam. Brabant cakes made from Linzer dough are incredibly tender, flavored with cinnamon, and assembled with a special cream.

The origin of Brabant candy is a mystery, with varying recipes passed down through families. The name “Brabant” may be related to the Duchy of Brabant, which existed within the Holy Roman Empire from 1183 to 1794, but the candy itself did not originate from that region.

Dutch cocoa, known for its high quality, is a famous specialty of the area, and it is possible that the cakes are named after this ingredient as they are topped with cocoa glaze and often contain cocoa in the dough.

Another possible explanation for the name is the use of cinnamon in all the recipes. While true cinnamon comes from Sri Lanka (Ceylon), cassia cinnamon, also known as Dutch cassia or Dutch cinnamon, is more commonly used.

Whether the name “Brabant” refers to the Dutch cocoa or the cinnamon, the candy remains a delightful and mysterious treat.

Explore the world of baking with us and uncover the secrets of this tempting candy — you may even enhance the recipe and pass it down through the generations.

Cream-filled Brabant Cookies

These buttery, melt-in-your-mouth, bite-sized cookies are really, really unhealthy and extremely addictive. So bake these fattening, addictive cookies at your own risk.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 cup of softened butter
• 1 cup ground walnuts
• 2 egg yolks

For the cream:

• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup of butter
• 1/4 cup of granulated sugar
• brown rum to taste
• vanilla sugar
• boiled water
• sugar for a rum bath
• chocolate topping
• ground nuts for coating

Method:

• Make a dough from the ingredients and leave it to rest in the cold for at least an hour.
• Then, roll it out into a thin plate and cut out circles.
• Bake the circles in an oven preheated to 370°F.
• Bake until pink.
• Prepare the cream the next day.
• Whisk the egg yolks with sugar over a hot bath into a thick cream. Let it cool, then.
• Add softened butter and vanilla sugar to the cream base.
• Take two baked rounds and spread both of them with cream. Place one round from the rum bath between them.
• Prepare a rum bath from sugar, boiled water, and rum.
• Soak the wheels for a moment.
• Finally, cover the cakes with melted chocolate and coat the sides with nuts.

Almond cakes

Here we go, another version of Brabant cookies.

They’re filled with creamy goodness and topped with almond halves for that extra crunch. They’re simply irresistible!

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup of ground almonds
• 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1 vanilla sugar
• 1 cup of softened butter

For the cream:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 1 cup of softened butter

To finish:

• almond halves
• 1/2 cup of rum
• chocolate and icing

Method:

• Make a dough from the ingredients and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
• Then, roll out the dough into a cake about 0.1 inches thick and cut out circles.
• Bake the circles in an oven heated to 360°F for about 10 minutes.
• In the meantime, prepare the cream.
• Beat the eggs and sugar over a water bath until thick.
• After cooling, mix the whipped butter with rum in the cream.
• Glue the circles with cream and dip them in chocolate.
• Place almond halves on top.

Buttercream Brabant Cakes

This Brabant cookie recipe is used year after year in our family. It’s become a holiday tradition for all family members.

These cookies are soft and have that melt-in-your-mouth quality.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup of powdered sugar
• 1 cup of butter
• 1/4 cup of walnuts or hazelnuts
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla powder

Cream:

• 1/4 cup of butter
• 1/4 cup of ground nuts
• 1/4 cup of ground biscuits (Nilla Vanilla Wafers.are the best choice)
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla powder
• icing sugar
• rum
• boiled water

Decoration:

• baking chocolate
• ground nuts for coating

Method:

• Make a dough from the ingredients.
• Let it cool for at least an hour in the refrigerator.
• Then, roll out a thin pancake from it and cut out circles.
• Bake in an oven preheated to 370°F for about 8 minutes.
• Let cool thoroughly.
• In the meantime, prepare the cream.
• Rub the butter with vanilla powder, biscuits, and nuts.
• Prepare a rum bath: Mix rum, boiled water, and sugar.
• Prepare three baked circles.
• Spread the cream on two circles.
• Soak the middle cookie in the rum bath briefly and glue all the layers together.
• Finally, cover the tops with chocolate and coat the edges with ground nuts.

Brabant egg white cakes with chocolate.

The recipe for Brabant cakes uses leftover egg whites so you can avoid wasting them and create a delicious treat.

Ingredients:

• 5 egg whites
• 1/4 cup of powdered sugar
• 1 cup of softened butter
• strong coffee (approx. 5 teaspoons)
• ground walnuts
• chocolate for coating

Method:

• Beat the egg whites until stiff.
• Then, whisk in the sugar spoon by spoonful.
• Make small circles with the spoon on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
• Bake (dry) at 200°F for about an hour.
• Rub the butter and sugar into a foam and gradually add the cooled coffee.
• If the cream curdles, whisk over steam for a while, then cool.
• Grease the baked circles with cream up to the edges.
• Mix the nuts with the grated chocolate and use to cover the edges.

Hazelnut Brabant Cookies

Let’s put a unique spin on this Christmas cookie by opting for hazelnuts as the base instead.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 2 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 1 cup of ground hazelnuts
• 3 tablespoons of vanilla powder
• 2 cups of softened butter
• 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon

For the cream:

• 5 eggs
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 2 cups of softened butter

Method:

• Mix the ingredients for the dough.
• Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Then, roll it into a thin pancake and cut out circles.
• Bake in an oven heated to 360°F until golden.
• Beat the eggs and sugar over a water bath to a thick consistency.
• After cooling to room temperature, mix in the softened butter.
• Dip the middle rounds in rum, which can be softened with boiled water and sugar.
• Spread the cream on the two outermost circles, and place the soaked circle in the middle.
• After it hardens, cover it with chocolate and wrap the edges in nuts.
• You can decorate the tops with any nuts.

Brabant cookies, a delectable Christmas indulgence, consist of two buttery cookies held together with a filling of either rum or cream.

The cookies are then adorned with chocolate and delicately coated with a selection of ground nuts, such as walnuts, hazelnuts, or almonds.

The combination of flavors and textures makes them a must-try treat during the festive season.