Peanut Heidesand cookies are so fast and easy to make yet tender, buttery and with a slightly nutty note. These melt-in-your-mouth cookies with a crunchy peanut edge are a perfect treat along with a cup of tea or as a present for your family and friends. Their sandy texture and flavour will win you over.
I’ve discovered Heidesand cookies only a couple of months ago. How is this possible?! I am learning to become a pastry chef and since I am also back in school, as a practical task, I had to bake some Heidesand cookies. Therefore, I made my research.
Heidesand means “heath sand”. The name origins from the Lüneburger Heide in Germany, a beautiful heath area, just an hour away from me. The cookies have a sandy look and texture, too. They are just perfect.
Traditionally, they are made around the Christmas season and you can find them all around Germany. The most classic ones are decorated with pearl sugar (Hagelzucker) on the edge. Having said that, I am sure they taste delicious through all of the year, as well. There is always a good time for a cookie snack. Wink.
How to make brown butter
The Heidesand cookies are made with browned butter. Yummy. Brown butter is just melted normal butter, which gets a darker colour and a lovely nutty flavour through cooking. Maybe you know it as hazelnut butter or buerre noisette. It will take you around 5 minutes to get the delicious rich brown butter. The important thing is to keep an eye on it all the time and to never ever stop whisking. Wink. After creating a white foam it tends to turn brown very quickly. And there is a thin line between perfectly browned and burnt butter. Wink.
Well, I must say that I love Heidesand cookies. I wish I knew them before. Wink. If you decide to make these cookies, I suggest you make the dough a day ahead because it needs to chill and get firm. Also, pick any nuts you like most or coat them in sugar or some herbs, instead. Use your imagination and create your own Heidesand cookie.
If you are a sweet tooth make sure to check these dessert recipes:
Ingredients for around 25 peanut Heidesand cookies:
- 100 g butter (browned)
- 50 g icing sugar (sifted)
- 1 tsp of clementine zest (or lemon, orange)
- a pinch of salt
- 1 tsp of olive oil
- 150 g flour (sifted)
- 1 egg (beaten)
- 25-30 g peanuts (toasted, salted)
Prepare the shortbread today
To begin, prepare the brown butter. In a small saucepan melt the butter on medium-low heat, while you’re continuous whisking. When it starts to simmer (do not boil it) and a foam rises on top, keep whisking until the milky foam slightly disappears, the butter turns to a darker brown at the bottom of the pan and then it gets a lovely nutty aroma. At this point, remove the pan immediately from the heat and let it cool completely.
When the butter is cold, put it in a bowl, add the sifted sugar, clementine zest and a pinch of salt. Mix, with a hand mixer, until fluffy and well incorporated. Then, sift in the flour and mix until it turns into a crumbly dough.
Moreover, use your hands to work the dough as you put it in the right form. Patiently squish it together in a log, about 4 cm in diameter. In order to keep its form, wrap it tightly in cling film foil and refrigerate it overnight.
Bake them the next day
The next day, preheat the oven to 175ºC and coarsely chop the peanuts. Spread the peanuts in a single layer onto a shallow plate. In a small bowl beat an egg and set it aside. Furthermore, take the shortbread log out of the fridge, unwrap it and brush it with the egg. Immediately roll the log over the chopped peanuts pressing it slightly.
Once the log is coated with peanuts, slice the log into half centimetre thick rounds. Place the slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and put to bake for about 10-12 minutes or until barely golden on the edges.
In conclusion, remove the baked cookies from the oven and let them sit on the baking sheet for a couple more minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve the peanut Heidesand cookies with a cup of tea or coffee, as a perfect holiday treat or just as a snack here and there.
Enjoy!
