Ho, ho, ho hello everyone!

Ok, ok, I know that was a very, very lame opening line. I’ve got a special announcement. I’ve loved sharing more of my Austrian heritage with you over this year and decided to end out the year with one of my favourite traditions – Weihnachtsgebäck! (ie. Christmas baked goods). Christmas is my favourite time of the year and making Christmas biscuits is one of my first and favourite baking memories – another is Marie Biscuits with margarine and hundreds-and-thousands sprinkled on top (but that’s neither baking nor Christmas). I’ve been making Christmas biscuits for years – first as an assistant to my mom, then my big sister and eventually I took the wheel –and the rest is an icing sugar dust cloud of history. And I want to share my repertoire of gorgeous, luxurious, crumbly, fragrant, buttery, nutty biscuits with you all!

I’m making nine varieties this year. Each different, each delicious.

• Vanillekipferl – little half moon (or banana) shaped biscuits made of butter, ground almonds, sugar and flour which are rolled in an icing and vanilla sugar mixture while still warm
  • • These are pretty much the OG of Christmas biscuits in my family. The recipe I use is from a Children’s Christmas Book. It includes stories and songs and yes, a couple of biscuit recipes. They are everyone’s favourite – simple, crunchy, not too sweet and egg-free.
• Kokusbusserl – a meringue-like mixture of fluffy egg white, coconut and sugar which results in a chewy little treat.
  • • My husband’s favourite! Literal translation – Coconut kisses! I’ve been making these for years now – ever since I noticed they’re the perfect way to use up leftover egg whites.
• Rubine – A filling of walnut, rum and cinnamon between two biscuits. The edges are rolled in coconut and a dollop of strawberry jam on top
  • • These were the first “fancy” biscuits I made – fancy being the fact that I first bake the biscuits, then make the filling, then roll the edges in jam, then in coconut and then a dollop of jam goes on top! Complicated, right? Just like I like it.
• Hazelnut Linzeraugen – short, buttery biscuits made with roasted hazelnuts sandwiched with raspberry or apricot jam
  • • Linzeraugen are another very traditional Austrian biscuit – these are the luxury version. The biscuits include ground roast hazelnuts making them fragrant and beautifully brown.
• Polsterzipfe – flaky pastry triangles filled with red currant jam
  • • Imagine the corner of your pillow was a biscuit. Well, that’s this! The biscuit dough is made with cottage cheese which makes for a really flaky and soft biscuit. And I’ll be making my own red current jam for the filling!
• Butterkranzel – buttery biscuits with the cut out filled by a buttery almond caramel filling
  • • Literal translation – Butter Wreaths! Butter in the biscuit, butter in the centre. The transparent centre is made with glucose syrup which means you’ve got yourself another chewy delight!
• Marzipantaler – A short biscuit round topped with disk of marzipan and dipped in chocolate
  • • The biscuit is extra soft and the marzipan adds a tangy bite and the chocolate is just the final touch!
• Mohnbusserl – piped poppy seed flavoured biscuits – small and crunchy
  • • Another “kiss” biscuit – this time with ground poppy seeds. These actually look like kisses as they’re piped as little “flowers”.
• Anistaler – light and airy biscuits flavoured with ground aniseed
  • • So, Anis – is aniseed and Taler – is coin. I gobble these up, they’re highly addictive and pretty much melt on the tongue.

The Rubine, Linzeraugen and Marzipantaler are more expensive than the others and are only included in the first two options. Each option however will have a Christmassy vibe – the boxes lined with a Christmassy serviette and both the box and packet tied with Christmassy ribbon.

I hope you order! Production starts on Sunday – and boxes will be available from the 13^th of December all the way up until the 23^rd of December. Order below: