A Holiday Treat with Hotel Director Elisabeth Vogel

Azamara’s Hotel Director, Elisabeth Vogel, is a woman of many talents. Azamara guests know she’s an expert at keeping them comfortable, and if you’ve been following along this year on our blog, you know she’s a talented painter as well. But, what you may not know is that she’s also an excellent baker. And with the holidays upon us, we thought we’d ask her to share her favorite holiday baking recipe with you. So get out your baking pans and chef’s hat — it’s time to bake a delicious holiday treat! 

An Unfamiliar Name, an Unforgettable Taste 

When asked about her favorite holiday baked treat, it didn’t take Elisabeth long to give us an answer. “My favorite cookies for Christmas are called Spitzbuben, which translates to rascal, but don’t ask me why.” Their name may be a mystery, but there’s no secret to why they taste so good! “The dough is a simple shortcrust, and, if you like, you can add some of your favorite spices to make the recipe distinctly yours!”

Before we get started, Elisabeth noted that since there’s some work involved, she always doubles the recipe to make about 50 cookies.

Elisabeth Vogel’s Spitzbuben Cookies

Ingredients

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  2 1/2 cups of flour

  
  


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  2 dashes of baking soda

  
  


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  3/4 cup of sugar

  
  


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  Vanilla flavor

  
  


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  2 teaspoons of lemon zest

  
  


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  2 egg yolk

  
  


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  1 1/2 cups of cold butter

  
  


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  1 dash of salt

  
  

Recipe:

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  Start by preheating your oven to 350°F.

  
  

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  Mix the flour, baking soda, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt together in your mixing bowl. 

  
  

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  Place this dough on a clean surface and add the egg yolks in the middle. 

  
  

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  Add your butter in small amounts and quickly work it all together. (Note: Elisabeth told us she prefers to wear gloves for this step, but it’s not required)

  
  

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  Once you’re happy with your dough, it’s time to roll it. Add a little flour to your cutting board and rolling pin, then start rolling out the dough. 

  
  

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  When it’s ready, you’ll cut your dough into cookie shapes. Use a cookie cutter to cut your dough into shapes of your choosing, then use a smaller cookie cutter to cut a “window” in half the cookies.

  
  

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  When this is done, it’s time to put your cookies in the oven. They’ll take 12 minutes to bake. 

  
  

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  When they’re ready, take them out of the oven and let them cool. 

  
  

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  Now, it’s time for our favorite part — the filling! Elisabeth suggests Raspberry Marmalade (without the seeds) or lemon curd. Spread the filling on the cookies without the windows. 

  
  

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  Then, place the cookies with the windows on top of the cookies with the filling. 

  
  

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  If you like, you can even add confectioners sugar or frosting to the windowed cookies beforehand for an added treat! 

  
  

Just like that, you’ll have a delicious holiday treat to share with those closest to you! But before you do, be sure to share them with us — on social media, of course! Snap a photo of your holiday treat and tag us using #ExploreFurther. We can’t wait to see your creations. And if you’re looking for more recipes to try this holiday season? We have you covered!