Name: Spitzbuben | Swiss Strawberry Jam Cookies
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 180 min
Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature ((2 sticks)); ½ cup granulated sugar; 1 large egg; 1 tsp almond extract ((or substitute vanilla extract)); 1 Tbsp lemon zest ((from one whole medium lemon)); 2½ cups all purpose flour; 1 cup blanched almond flour ((or substitute hazelnut flour)); ¼ tsp salt ((use table salt or fine sea salt)); ½ tsp ground cinnamon; ¼ tsp ground nutmeg; ¼ tsp ground cloves; 10 ounces strawberry jam; 1 cup powdered sugar

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These soft and buttery Swiss strawberry jam cookies are called Spitzbuben, and they are popular throughout Germany. The jam adds a fruity, tart flavor that tastes amazing with the soft butter cookies spiced with lemon zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. And a dusting of powdered sugar on top makes these sandwich cookies look festive for any special occasion.

A dozen Spitzbuben cookies on a wire cooling rack next to cookie cutters.

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Spitzbuben are the Swiss equivalent of Austrian Linzer raspberry cookies or Linzer Augen. And while they look similar, my Spitzbuben have more flavor in the cookie dough, thanks to lemon zest and warm baking spices.

These delicious Swiss Christmas cookies are made from two soft, buttery shortbread biscuits usually shaped like stars, circles, or snowflakes. Then they're sandwiched together with a fruity strawberry jam filling and dusted with powdered sugar.

Spitzbuben cookies are especially popular around Christmas, and they taste great with coffee, homemade chai, or almond milk eggnog. And for more classic German Christmas desserts, try Lebkuchen Herzen and gingerbread cake called Gewürzkuchen.

Two snowflake cookies on a black plate on a red linen.

Growing up in Germany, I learned that there’s a lot of crossover between German baking and Swiss baking. When we visited the Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas markets) in Switzerland, I found myself drooling over all the familiar German Christmas cookies like Pfeffernüsse, Vanillekipferl, and these Spitzbuben.

And did you know that Spitzbuben translates to “rascals” or “a mischievous child” from German to English? Although I have no clue why!

Bowls full of flour and almond flour next to butter, a lemon, and baking spices.

Ingredients and Notes

Unsalted butter
Granulated sugar
Egg
Almond extract
Lemon zest
All purpose flour
Blanched almond flour
Salt
Spices - ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves
Strawberry jam
Powdered sugar

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. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter until it’s light and fluffy.

A glass bowl with beaten butter and sugar.

2. Add the granulated sugar and beat again until it’s fluffy & pale yellow.

A mixing bowl with butter, sugar, egg, lemon zest, and almond extract.

3. Add the egg, almond extract & lemon zest. Mix until it’s combined.

Two discs of cookie dough wrapped in plastic wrap.

5. Press the dough into two discs. Wrap each in plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Spitzbuben cookie dough being cut into snowflakes and stars.

7. Use cookie cutters to cut out the cookie shapes. Use a smaller cookie cutter or a paring knife to cut out a small shape in the center of half of the circles of dough.

Four assembled Swiss strawberry jam cookies dusted with powdered sugar.

9. Dust the cookies with the centers cut out with powdered sugar. Spread strawberry jam on each of the cookies with the centers intact.

Buttery cookie dough in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon.

4. Mix in the all purpose flour, almond flour, salt, and baking spices.

Cookie dough rolled out on a large piece of parchment paper.

6. Working in batches, roll out the dough discs on a lightly floured surface to about ⅛ inch thickness.

Baked snowflake-shaped Spitzbuben on a wire cooling rack.

8. Transfer the cookie dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Bake at 350°F, for about 6 to 8 minutes.

Close-up of a Spitzbuben cookie on a black plate.

10. Gently press the powdered sugar-covered cookies with the center cut out on top of the jam to form cookie sandwiches.

Carissa's Kitchen Tip

I highly recommend to bake your cookies in batches, to keep the dough cold and firm.

As I'm rolling out one disc of dough and cutting out the cookies, the other is chilling in the fridge.
And while the cut cookies are chilling a second time, I'll roll out the second dough disc.

Five German Christmas cookies made with shortbread biscuits and strawberry jam on a metal plate.

Recipe Tips

Keep the dough cold. This will help the cookies keep their shape, rather than spreading in the oven.
Bake Spitzbuben just until they start to turn golden around the edges. Watch them closely because they bake quickly!
You can also bake the cut-out pieces from the centers of the top cookies, rather than throwing that dough away. I usually bake them on a separate baking sheet for just 4 to 6 minutes.
Use a thin spatula to gently scrape your shaped cookie dough off your floured surface and onto the prepared baking sheet.
If your baking sheet doesn’t fit it your fridge, put your cookies on the parchment paper then place them in the fridge on something smaller and flat, like a cutting board.

Variations

Jam: You can substitute any fruit jam like lingonberry, apricot, or raspberry jam. Just make sure it’s smooth without really big chunks, which would prevent the cookies from laying flat.
Other Fillings: Instead of a fruit filling, you could fill your cookies with chocolate, lemon curd, or thick caramel sauce.
Spices: Instead of the ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves you can substitute Lebkuchengewurz.

Half-assembled Spitzbuben cookies on a wooden table.

Storage

Store cooled, assembled cookies in a metal tin or airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Place a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper in between each layer of cookies. This will prevent them from sticking together or getting messed up.

How to Make These Cookies Ahead of Time

Cookie Dough: You can make the Spitzbuben cookie dough ahead of time and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then roll out the dough and cut out the shapes.

Baked Cookies: You can freeze baked, unassembled cookies. Allow them to cool fully then spread them out on a baking sheet.

Freeze for about 2 hours until they’re solid, then transfer them to a freezer safe bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then assemble with jam.

A half-eaten Spitzbuben Swiss cookie on a beige plate.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do if my cookie dough gets sticky?

The dough can get soft and fragile pretty quickly if it gets warm. If it starts to get too sticky, stick it back in the fridge to firm up. The more intricate the design of your cookie cutters, the more fragile your cookie dough will be, so handle it with care.

What's the secret to soft butter cookies?

To make sure your cookies stay soft and tender, chill the dough in the fridge for at least one hour so you don’t have to use as much flour when rolling out the dough.

Can I make Spitzbuben without cookie cutters?

If you don’t have cookie cutters, you can use the rim of a drinking glass to cut out circle cookies. Then use the wide edge of a piping nozzle or a paring knife to cut out a circle in the center of half the cookies.

Looking for more delicious German cookie recipes? Try these: