Viennese Christmas Cookies

And baking continues. Here I go in my oven mission, now that cold, foggy weather is here and it finally smells like Christmas time. This is another cookie recipe from Le Cordon Bleu and, as all other recipes I've tried from that book, this one's also delicious.


This is my entry for Eat Christmas Cookies, a very nice event Susan is organizing at Food Blogga! You can see all entries here. These event was brought to my attention by Cris. Thanks, sweetie!



Viennese Cookies
Adapted from Le Cordon Bleu, Cookies

(24 cookies)

100 grs unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of a small lemon
50 grs icing sugar
1 big egg, lightly beaten
150 grs all-purpose flour
100 grs bitter chocolate (+ 70% cacau - I used Lindt)

Mix butter, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest into a bowl, until fluffy and creamy. Slowly mix in the egg, stirring between each addition. Add sifted flour gradually. Preheat oven to 200º C.
Put batter in a bag or use a spoon and place shaped cookies on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden. Cool on a rack.

Set a medium heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Place chocolate in the bowl and stir until just melted. Merge half of each cookie in the chocolate and allow to cool on a baking sheet.

Note: to use chocolate on all (24 cookies) 200 grs of chocolate are needed - I only melted 100 grs as I also used cherries on part of the cookies and let a few simple.