Description
Magenbrot is a soft, spiced German Christmas cookie with a tender, cake-like texture. Flavored with warming spices, citrus zest, and a hint of chocolate, it's finished with a glossy glaze for a festive treat.
Ingredients
3½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup honey
¼ cup molasses
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ cup water
For the glaze:
½ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup water
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, all spices, and citrus zests.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, honey, molasses, butter, and water. Stir until smooth and dissolved. Let it cool slightly.
- Pour the warm mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to form a sticky dough.
- Divide the dough in half, roll each into a log about 1 inch in diameter, flatten slightly, and place on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 15–18 minutes until puffed and set. Cool for 10 minutes, then slice diagonally into 1-inch pieces while still warm.
- For the glaze, mix sugar, water, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and cloves in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 3–4 minutes.
- Toss warm cookies in the glaze in batches, using a slotted spoon to coat evenly. Place on a wire rack to dry completely.
Notes
Add chopped nuts like hazelnuts or almonds for crunch.
Swap lemon zest for orange zest for a citrus-forward flavor.
Add melted dark chocolate to the glaze for deeper chocolate taste.
Increase cinnamon and cardamom for a spicier version.
Make it vegan by using plant-based margarine and maple syrup instead of butter and honey.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Place a slice of apple in the container if cookies become dry to help rehydrate them.
Freeze unglazed cookies for up to 3 months; glaze after thawing.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: German
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 105
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 45mg
- Fat: 2g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 3mg
