Brunsli – Chocolate Almond Cookies
Brunsli – Chocolate Almond Cookies, often described as Swiss Brownies, have an unmistakable chocolatey and nutty flavor, with a lovely crisp outside and a chewy inside. What is there not to love about these chocolate cookies?
Brunsli originated in the 1700s. These small brown cookies (Bruns means brown and -li signifies small) were first baked in Basel (Switzerland) not only for Christmas but also for weddings and other special occasions.
Traditional Basler Brunsli is cut with a flower cookie cutter. But since it’s Christmas time, I like to use Christmas-y cookie cutters.
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By now, Brunsli have made their way past the Swiss borders, and people around the world have discovered the tastiness of these brown sugary cookies 😁
While other countries have more famous cookies, the Swiss most definitely take their Christmas cookies seriously. There are several classic cookies people young, and old, make every year for Christmas. My favorites are Spitzbuben and Zimtsterne, try them out! I’m pretty sure you will like them, too!
Worth the wait
Once the cookies are cut and placed on parchment paper, leave them out at room temperature overnight or at least for 6 hours.
This might seem an unusual step, but don’t skip on the drying time. You will achieve a cookie that is crisp on the outside and nice and chewy on the inside.
Only bake for a few short minutes!
Place them in a hot oven for just a few short minutes!! Keep a close eye on them! If you leave the Brunsli in the oven for just one minute too long, you will end up with rock-hard cookies. They will be soft when you take them out of the oven, but harden as they cool!
E Guete (Bon appétit)!! Don’t forget to share some pictures with me and tell me how you liked these Brunsli – Chocolate Almond Cookies. Also, it would make my day if you tag @mirjamskitchenyodel on Instagram, share on Facebook or pin on Pinterest.
You might also like:
Chocolate Cinnamon Winter Cake
Zimtsterne – Cinnamon Star Cookies
Brunsli – Chocolate Almond Cookies
Ingredients
- 250 g Almonds finely shredded
- 150 g Zucker
- 2 tbsp Cacao powder
- 2 tbsp All-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp Ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp Salt
- 2 Egg whites
- 100 g Dark chocolate melted
Instructions
Make the Brunsli dough
- In a saucepan, on low heat, melt the chocolate.
- In a large mixing bowl, add finely shredded almonds, sugar, cacao powder, flour, cinnamon, and salt and combine with a wooden spoon.
- Add two egg whites and mix them with the dry ingredients.
- Add the melted chocolate and mix until a dough forms.
- Wrap the dough in plastic foil and place it in the refrigerator. Let it chill for 2 – 4 hours.
Roll out the dough
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place dough on a lightly floured work surface. Don't use too much flour; since this dough only contains a small amount of flour, you don't want to add too much extra when rolling it out.
- Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, roll it out until it is about ½-1 cm thick.
- Cut the cookies with your favorite Christmas cookie cutter.
- Fill a small bowl with water. Clean cookie-cutter frequently to keep the dough from sticking and to achieve sharp edges in the cookie.
- Place the cookies on the baking sheet and let them dry overnight or for at least 6 hours.
Bake the Brunsli
- Preheat oven to 460°F or 240°C.
- Bake the Brunsli for 4 minutes (every oven is different so bake time might slightly differ). The cookies should be soft when you take them out of the oven. They will harden as they cool.