These nostalgic German cookies called Bethmännchen are so easy to make with just 6 ingredients, including homemade marzipan! They're chewy, nutty, and decorated with sliced blanched almonds for the perfect amount of rustic charm during the holidays.
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Bethmännchen cookie dough is full of nutty flavor, thanks to homemade marzipan and lots of blanched almond flour. In fact, I love baking with almond flour because it makes cookies reallyyy soft and chewy, like my German almond horn cookies and vanilla crescent cookies.
Now I know that these German marzipan cookies are most popular during Christmas (especially with a warm mug of coffee or German hot chocolate!) But that doesn't mean you can't bake them throughout the rest of the year!
History of Bethmännchen
Time for a little history lesson! Bethmännchen which means "little Bethmann's" because they're named after a wealthy banking family who lived in Frankfurt. And traditionally there are three halved almonds on each cookie, to represent the family's three sons.
And these cookies are close to my heart, since Frankfurt is the city I lived outside of when I grew up in Germany. Every winter, I loved going to Frankfurt's Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas market), because my family treated ourselves to classic Christmas cookies like these Bethmännchen.
A Note on Marzipan
Listen, as similar as they look, know that almond paste and marzipan are not the same thing. Almond paste is often harder and less sweet than marzipan. And while some recipes make Bethmännchen with almond paste, I prefer marzipan for softer cookies. You can use store bought marzipan, but it honestly only takes 5 minutes to make it at home, and it's a lot cheaper & more flavorful!
How to Make this Recipe
Below is the process to make this recipe. For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. Blanch almonds to remove the skins.
2. Cut the almonds in half length-wise.
3. Make the marzipan in a food processor.
5. Roll the cookie dough into small balls.
7. Brush each dough ball with egg wash.
4. Mix everything to form a sticky dough.
6. Press 3 almond halves on each cookie.
8. Bake and cool the cookies. Enjoy!!
Carissa's Kitchen Tip
Because the dough is so sticky, it helps to wet your hands with cold water when shaping and handling the dough. Keep a small dish of water nearby to wet your fingers as needed.
This prevents the dough from sticking to your hands as you roll and shape it.
How to Remove Almond Skins to Make Blanched Almonds
If you can't find blanched almonds (aka skinless almonds) at the store, luckily they're really easy to make at home!
Just soak whole almonds overnight or boil them for 60 seconds, then drain and rinse under cold water. You can use a towel or your fingers to rub the almonds, and they'll pop right out of the skins!
Tips on Cutting Almonds in Half
To cut each almond, hold it on its side with your fingers on a cutting board. Then carefully use a kitchen knife to split it down the middle, along its natural seam.
Pro Tip: It's a little easier to split almonds in half while they're still warm from getting blanched.
More Festive Holiday Cookie Recipes
German Marzipan Cookies | Bethmännchen
Ingredients
Marzipan
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large egg whites
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- ½ teaspoon rose water (optional)
Cookies
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup blanched almond flour
- 1 large egg, separated
- ⅓ cup blanched (skinless) almonds, sliced in half (see note below)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.Prepare your blanched almonds sliced in half length-wise. (See notes below for tips.)
Make the Marzipan
- In a food processor, add the almond flour and powdered sugar. Pulse a few times, to get all the lumps out.
- Add the salt, egg whites, almond extract, and optional rose water. Mix on high speed until it forms a dense, soft, slightly sticky mixture.
Make & Bake the Cookies
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer, add the marzipan, powdered sugar, almond flour, and just the egg white. (Save the egg yolk in a bowl for later.) Mix on low speed until it forms a smooth dough, after about a minute.
- Roll the cookie dough into small balls, about 1 inch in diameter. Spread them out on the prepared baking sheet. The dough will be pretty sticky, so wet your hands with water to make it easier to handle.
- Gently press three almond halves on the sides of each cookie.
- Whisk the reserved egg yolk with a teaspoon of water. Brush on the top and sides of each cookie.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the cookies are a pale gold color & look dry on top. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely, and enjoy!!
Notes
- Almond paste is not the same thing as marzipan, so they can't be substituted.
- Because the dough is so sticky, it helps to wet your hands with cold water when shaping and handling the dough, to prevent it from sticking to your hands.
- If you can't find blanched almonds (aka skinless almonds) at the store, they're really easy to make at home! Just soak whole almonds overnight or boil them in a saucepan for 60 seconds, then drain and rinse under cold water. You can use a towel or your fingers to rub the almonds, and they'll pop right out of the skins!
- To slice almonds in half, hold each almond on its side with your fingers on a cutting board, and carefully use a sharp kitchen knife to split them down the middle, along their natural seam.
Brenda
I did this twice because the almond flour I got tasted a bit stale the first time. Got Bobs redmill flour and it tasted so good afterwards. Thank you!
Carissa Erzen
The same thing happened to me! I bought my almond flour in bulk from my grocery store, but it was very stale even though I used it the next day. If you have leftover fresh almond flour, be sure to store it in the fridge to make it last longer!
Rolf
I made these for Christmas and my grandmother was proud that I knew such old German recipe lol
Carissa Erzen
Aww anything to make Oma proud! 🙂
Shanon
Cute looking cookies!