Nussprinten

Printen are an integral part of the Christmas season in Germany. As you stroll through the Christmas market, the typical scent of aniseed, cardamom and cinnamon wafts through the air. Whether plain, covered in icing or chocolate, baked with nuts or garnished with almonds – the variety of creations is sure to satisfy every tastebud.
Nußprinten are a variation on traditional Aachen Printen (a traditional gingerbread speciality that have been baked in Aachen / Germany since around 1820) in which the gingerbread is topped with hazelnuts and coated with chocolate. It is a delicious combination of aromatic gingerbread, crunchy nuts and delicate chocolate. These well spiced cookies are usually sold in the form of long bars. However, they can only be called ‘Aachener Printen’ if they are actually made in Aachen.

Nußprinten

adapted from ‘Meine Lieblingsplätzchen’ by Dr. Oetker

Dough	Glaze
100 g Hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and halved 125 g Sugar beet syrup (or molasses) 1 pinch Salt 50 g Butter 2 tbsp Water 50 g Erythritol (or sugar) 50 g Brown candied sugar, crushed 3 drop Dr. Oetker lemon extract ½ tsp Ground star anise ½ tsp Ground cloves ½ tsp Ground cinnamon 1/3 tsp Cardamom 250 g Plain flour 3 tsp Dr. Oetker baking powder	250 g Dark chocolate, chopped 1 tbsp Coconut oil

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
Place the hazelnuts on a baking tray and roast for about 10 minutes, until the brown skins burst open. Place the hot nuts in a kitchen towel and rub off the skins with circular movements.
In a saucepan, add the syrup with salt, butter and water. Melt over low heat until sugar has dissolved. Remove and add in erythritol and crushed brown candied sugar, lemon extract and spices and mix until well combined.
Mix the flour with the baking powder and stir in flour to form a smooth dough. Cover the dough and left to rest in a cool room for at least 1 day, preferably two to three days.
Line two baking trays with baking paper. Halve the skinned hazelnuts for the topping. Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/2 cm and cut into 7x3 cm rectangles. Place them on the prepared baking trays, arrange the hazelnut halves on top of the dough and gently press down. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove the printen from the baking tray and leave to cool on a wire rack.
Roughly chop the chocolate, melt it with the coconut oil in a bain-marie over a low heat and coat the cooled printen with it.
Once set, store the gingerbread in a tin, layered with baking paper between the layers to prevent sticking.

23 comments:

Tom 14/12/25 13:11: ...Angie, these should satisfy any sweet teeth.
DEZMOND 14/12/25 13:20: Oh, meine Got, they are so pretty und inventive! Bet it was tons of fun making them, and such a gorgeous photo with that box and apple. You should follow Chelsie's Sweets over at Facebook, she has had incredibly gorgeous Christmas cookie boxes this season.
ellie 14/12/25 13:55: Oh, Angie! So great to see what you've been up to! Such a delightful treat!
Caitlin&Megan 14/12/25 13:55: These have my name written all over it! Awesome treat! YUM!
🌺JoAnna🌺 14/12/25 15:08: I love the smell of Christmas and Christmas markets! Nice recipe, so sweet.
Norma2 14/12/25 15:11: Angie, thank you for lending me your fig powder cookie recipe for my post today.
Lola Martínez 14/12/25 15:12: Tal y como describes estos pastelitos, me parecen deliciosos, solo hay que verlos.
eileeninmd 14/12/25 15:31: Looks like a tasty treat! Thanks for sharing.
Take care, have a wonderful week ahead.
Anonymous 14/12/25 16:17: Yummy -Christine cmlk79.blogspot.com
Frank | Memorie di Angelina 14/12/25 17:08: I've never heard of these but they look adorable!
MELODY JACOB 14/12/25 18:34: I love that you're baking your own Nußprinten. You're absolutely right, the scent of those spices is the very essence of the German Christmas market.
Brian's Home Blog 14/12/25 19:09: Those sure do look terrific!
Linda's Relaxing Lair 14/12/25 19:55: This looks very nice, Angie! The presentations are beautiful and they look so nice in that lovely Christmas tin!
DeniseinVA 14/12/25 21:20: Looks delicious and what a super gift they would be. Thanks Angie!
J.P. Alexander 15/12/25 00:21: Gracias por la receta. tomó nota te mando un beso.
My name is Erika. 15/12/25 02:07: These look so pretty and I bet are tasty. This even looks a little bit like a Lego. Happy new week.
peppylady (Dora) 15/12/25 03:02: My mouth is watering.
Anonymous 15/12/25 05:31: Wow, these look amazing!
Tandy (Lavender and Lime) https://tandysinclair.com
Veronica Lee 15/12/25 06:09: I've never heard of these before, but I’m loving them! 😋
Margaret D 15/12/25 06:48: Gosh they do look wonderful and yummy, Angie.
David M. Gascoigne, 15/12/25 12:07: Perfect holiday decadence!
Ben | Havocinthekitchen 16/12/25 00:31: A new type of gingerbread to me, and it looks wonderful - rich, nutty, and beautifully spiced.
foodtravelandwine 16/12/25 02:27: Mouth watering here....two dozens please!.......Abrazotes, Marcela