My mother-in-law introduced me to Terrassen- a German jam-filled cookie - long before I married her son. And as wonderful as my husband is, this cookie might have been a swaying factor in my decision to marry him! I jest, of course, but of all the myriads of cookies she makes each holiday season, this is the one that I'm most fond of. She learned to make it in their family bakery in Badwindsheim, Germany, many years ago. Tante Tilde and Onkel Fritz owned it and my husband remembers visiting, being given a sack of candy from the beautiful displays and playing basketball in the large mixer.
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Can Terrassen be made gluten-free?
Through various health issues in our family, many of us eat gluten free and I thought I would never enjoy Terrassen again. We went through phases of "grain-free" as well and my efforts to replicate these with almond flour and other flours just didn't pan out. I was really sad and irritated! While I continue to limit grains, I no longer completely eliminate them so I tried this recipe with King Arthur's 1:1 Gluten Free Blend … and met with success!! Bob's Red Mill 1:1 also works well.
Additionally, I also limit refined sugar so my baking has taken an expected turn over the last few years. However, once in a while, the real deal is called for. Organic cane sugar rather than white refined is my choice and I enjoy the result.
To be sure, this cookie owes much, if not all, of its lusciousness to the amount of butter required. There's lots! But it produces a beautiful, soft, delicious dough that is better than shortbread or sugar cookies.
My mother-in-law's instructions left me with questions!
When my mother-in-law finally taught me how to make the cookies (about 10 years after I married her son!), she had no written recipe. After I got the ingredients out, her first instruction was, "Dump some flour on the counter, then mix a skimpy bit of sugar and baking powder." I looked at her with wide eyes and said, "How MUCH flour?! What does skimpy mean?!" She proceeded to "dump" and I proceeded to "scoop" it up into a measuring cup so I would know how much it was. She was very tolerant. And that is how we have a measured recipe.
My Terrassen method
Instead of "dumping" ingredients on the counter, I use the food processor. I
put the flour, sugar, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor, pulse it a bit, then add the egg and pulse it again until it is all incorporated. Then I cut the cold butter into cubes, put it on top of the flour mixture, then run the processor until it forms a dough.
It will come together reluctantly, but stay persistent. If you can squeeze it together and it sticks, that's what you want. It will still look "scraggy" {look at me using words like my mother-in-law!}. But as you work with it, knead it a bit, roll it out, etc … the sugar will incorporate and it will smooth out and be soft and beautiful.
I usually work with a small amount of dough at a time and I roll it on my cutting board because I have granite tile and I tire of cleaning the grout! So I cut it in half or quarters and tuck a damp towel over the part I'm not working with.
Rolling the Terrassen dough
My mother-in-law tells me I roll the dough too thick. She doesn't approve. However, I like them softer rather than crispy and after she purses her lips and rolls her eyes to beat any teenager, she eats them. "Whatever. Whatever you want to do!"
As I roll, I cut as many top cookies as I do base cookies for each baking sheet so that at the end of the dough, I have an equal number of both. You don't have to space them out that much on the baking sheet because they don't spread out very much.
I always line the cooling racks with paper towels because of sprinkling the tops with powdered sugar. Remember that tile granite that I have and don't like to clean? I use a small strainer to sprinkle it liberally.
My mother-in-law has traditionally used seedless currant jelly for filling the Terrassen, but it can be difficult to find. You can make it yourself, of course, but again, currants THEMSELVES can be difficult to find. SO … I give you permission to do what I do and use seedless raspberry jelly. Melt it down again, either in the microwave or in a small pan on the stove. Spoon it carefully onto the base cookies, then carefully place the sugared tops on.
My mother-in-law and I usually make these at Christmas using a circle cutter. I've expanded the tradition to Valentine's and heart shapes ... because we deserve to have this deliciousness more than one time a year! These cookies will keep quite a long time even though they have so much butter! Just store them in a cool spot. A tin in a winter garage, a cool pantry, basement, or refrigerator all work just fine.
I often make these cookies as gifts for my neighbors for Christmas and/or Valentine's and I usually get texts with their appreciation. Sometimes I even get a treat from them in return!
Other sweets you might enjoy:
Recipe
Terrassen
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour unbleached all-purpose or King Arthur or Bob's Red Mill 1:1
- 2 teaspoons baking powder no-aluminum
- ½ cup sugar "skimpy" as my MIL would say! Organic cane!
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 10 tablespooons butter
- 1 jar seedless currant or raspberry jelly
- powdered sugar, to sprinkle on the tops
Instructions
- Put flour, sugar, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine.
- Add the egg and vanilla. Pulse to combine.
- Cube the butter. Add to the processor bowl and process till it's incorporated. It will still look rough, but as long as it comes together when you squeeze it together, it will be fine.
- Work the dough till it comes together more. Divide it in half or quarters to roll it out. Roll it out to cut the shapes. Cut enough of both tops and bases to have equal numbers of each. Re-roll the leftover dough and keep cutting.
- Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes. Allow to rest for a short time on the baking sheet, then transfer to paper towel lined cooling racks, placing the bases separate from the tops. Allow to cool.
- Sprinkle the tops with powdered sugar.
- Using the microwave or a small pot, melt the jelly. Spoon it carefully onto the bases, not quite to the edges.
- Carefully, lay the sprinkled cookie tops on the bases.
- Et Voila. Bon Appetit!
Ela
These are NOT Terrassenplätzchen. Please do your research and change the recipe. Thank you!
Tammy Circeo
Thank you for your input and I'm sorry you are disappointed. I don't post these as a German baker expert, but rather as a recipe that was passed to me from my German mother-in-law, whose family did, in fact, own a bakery in Germany. However, I did do some research and found that there are similar recipes as this one name "Terrassen" so I feel that keeping the name, our family tradition and memories is honoring.
isolde babbie
where i come from (bavaria) also Spitzbuben genannt, or Lausbuben, if ground almods or hazelnuts are added to the dough. as for tereassen, I actually have a german friend who will make more than 2 layers, she rolls them very thin, which I never qute manage-but they too were my husband's favorites after my mom introduced them to him one christmas.
Tammy Circeo
Adding those nuts sounds very delicious!