These German cookies are an adaptation of a festive and easy bar cookie that my mom has made at Christmas for years. These flavorful spiced bars are made with brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves and orange zest and are packed with chopped pecans. They're magically both light and meringue-like, yet sturdy with a nice chew.
Some whole wheat flour in the dough provides additional flavor without feeling heavy. The bars are blanketed with an orange glaze that resembles patches of snow as it dries. Cut into a star pattern (or squares), these are a simple and straightforward spice cookie that keeps very well.
The original recipe for these bars is from a 1960s edition of a Sunset Magazine "favorite recipes" compendium that my mom still has. Her handwritten notes say 1976 was the first year she baked them, and the fact that we make them still is a testament to their ease, reliability, and great taste.
The star shape (or snowflake, depending on your eye) of the bars was inspired by Joanne of Olive and Mango. She baked a cake that featured this pretty design, and I've been wanting to try something similar ever since.
It's a beautiful way to dress up a simple bar cookie recipe or cake. For reference, I shared a stop motion video demonstrating how to slice bar cookies into a star shape.
With holiday cookie season upon us, also try these German recipes for kokosmakronen (coconut macaroons) and nussecken (nut corners).
For more spice-forward recipes, there are also biscoff butter cookies, these triple ginger molasses cookies, and chocolate ginger cookies.
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Ingredients
* See recipe card for detailed ingredients and quantities.
Brown sugar - Brown sugar helps keep these bars moist and chewy and gives them a deeper caramel taste.
Whole wheat flour - A bit of whole wheat flour adds a nutty, complex taste. It does absorb a bit of extra moisture, which creates a fairly thick dough. If you don't have whole wheat flour, feel free to replace it with the same amount of all purpose flour.
Cinnamon - A warming spice that adds a lovely holiday feel to these cookies.
Cloves - Ground cloves are the pulverized dried flower buds of the clove tree. They impart an intense and pungent flavor that always reminds me of winter baking.
Pecans - I recommend toasting the pecans in order to bring out their nutty flavor.
Orange zest - Wash your orange and use a microplane or fine toothed grater to zest the orange. Avoid grating the white pith as it adds a bitter taste.
Powdered sugar - Sift your powdered sugar to ensure there are no lumps in the glaze.
Orange juice - Freshly squeezed orange juice will provide the best, brightest citrus flavor for the glaze. Juice the orange that you zested for the cookie dough.
Substitutions
Whole wheat flour- The original recipe was written with all purpose flour. My mom adapted it to include a bit of whole wheat flour. I've made it both ways, and both are great. Feel free to substitute all purpose flour for the whole wheat if you don't have it in your pantry.
Pecans - You can substitute other nuts for the pecans (walnuts, chopped almonds, or hazelnuts come to mind). I wouldn't recommend omitting nuts completely as it will reduce the total quantity of dough.
Variations
- Spices - I enjoy the simplicity of the cinnamon and cloves here, but you can add additional spices if you wish. You might try adding ¼ to ½ teaspoon of ginger, allspice, nutmeg and/or cardamom.
- Add-ins - You could add a few tablespoons of chopped candied ginger for a bit of zing, or additional texture and flavor with ¼ to ⅓ cup dried cranberries.
Equipment
9 x 13 metal pan - For perfectly baked bar cookies, I use and recommend this 9 x 13 inch pan made by USA Pan. It's my go-to for its straight, clean edges and even heating. The straight edges are extra helpful for slicing the bars into a decorative shape.
A note on pan material: Glass and metal pans conduct heat very differently.
- Metal pans: Heat up quickly and create light, crispy edges.
- Glass pans: Take longer to heat up and retain heat longer, which can lead to overbaked edges.
If you only have a glass pan, you may need to experiment by lowering the oven temperature by 25°F and extending the bake time by 5-10 minutes.
For more on how different materials affect your baking, see King Arthur Baking's guide on choosing the right bakeware.
A small offset spatula makes spreading the dough into the pan much easier.
Storage
These bars store well in an airtight container for up to a week.
For longer storage, they freeze beautifully in an airtight container as well. Place parchment paper between the layers to ensure they don't stick.
Recipe tips
Make sure your ground spices are fresh, especially if it's been a good while since you used them. Fresh spices make a world of difference. Store your spices in a well sealed container in a cool, dry location. Whole spices are usually fresh for around 2 years, while ground spices have a much shorter shelf life of around 6 months.
If you have the option to buy spices in bulk at your local grocery store, I encourage you to do so. Buying spices in bulk just means purchasing the amount you need from a larger container that the grocery store restocks frequently. (You won't go home with 3 pounds of cinnamon unless you really want to).
Make the orange glaze while the bars are baking so that it's ready to pour on the bars as soon as they come out of the oven. For clean slices, it's best to let the glaze set (a few hours) before cutting.
Frequently asked questions
These bars share similarities with Lebkuchen, which is a general term for gingerbread cookie in Germany. However, Lebkuchen are traditionally made with honey and almond paste and include a longer list of spices.
The original recipe from which these are adapted calls these bars "German Cookies." I realize it's a vague, broad name (can you imagine assuming a country only has one cookie?) but I wanted to stay true to the original in my post.
I don't know the origin of the recipe I've adapted, but I'm guessing it's an American rendition. For all kinds of traditional German baking, I'd recommend looking at this excellent cookbook, Classic German Baking, from Luisa Weiss.
Love this recipe? Please leave a comment and star rating. ★★★★★ Your feedback, suggestions, and adaptations are very helpful to other bakers!
📖 Recipe
German Cookies
INGREDIENTS
GERMAN COOKIES
- 120 grams pecans, chopped
- 2 large eggs
- 200 grams brown sugar
- 120 grams all purpose flour
- 28 grams whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
- ½ teaspoon cloves, ground
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, Diamond Crystal
- orange zest, from one large orange
ORANGE GLAZE
- 90 grams powdered sugar, sifted
- 30 mL orange juice, freshly squeezed, from same large orange
INSTRUCTIONS
GERMAN COOKIES
- Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Centigrade, Gas Mark 5).
- Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with parchment paper, extending the paper over the sides to use as a handle for lifting the bars out of the pan after baking.
- In a small pan over medium low heat, toast finely chopped pecan pieces until lightly browned and fragrant smelling, stirring occasionally - about 3-5 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.120 grams pecans
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the eggs and brown sugar. Beat until airy, light and creamy, 2-3 minutes.2 large eggs, 200 grams brown sugar
- Add flours, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Mix until flour is fully incorporated and no dry streaks remain.120 grams all purpose flour, 28 grams whole wheat flour , 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon cloves, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Mix in the toasted chopped pecans and orange zest.120 grams pecans, orange zest
- Pour the dough into the pan. It will be quite thick, and won't look like there's enough. It's OK! Carefully spread dough to the edges of the pan, making sure there are no areas of the pan left bare.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes, until bars are just beginning to turn golden and the top has turned dull. Your finger should only leave a slight indentation.
- While bars are baking, make the orange glaze. Immediately upon removing the bars from the oven, pour the glaze over the bars and spread with a pastry brush or the back of a spoon to cover the entire top.
ORANGE GLAZE
- In a 1 cup Pyrex measuring cup (or similar container, ideally with a pour spout), combine the powdered sugar and orange juice.90 grams powdered sugar, 30 mL orange juice
- Whisk until you achieve a smooth, thin glaze. Pour glaze onto hot bars as soon as they are removed from the oven.
- Use a pastry brush or the back of a spoon to spread the glaze to cover the bars. The glaze will firm up after an hour or two as the cookies cool.
EQUIPMENT
- 9 x 13 inch baking pan metal
NOTES
- You can replace the whole wheat flour with all purpose if needed. I like the extra flavor and texture that the whole wheat provides.
- You might worry there's not enough batter - it's OK! It's meant to be spread thin.
- Make the orange glaze while the bars are baking. You'll need to have it ready so you can pour it on the bars immediately after removing them from the oven.
- For cleanest slices, fully cool bars and let glaze set before cutting.
Kathleen M. says
Kathleen, these are absolutely deliciously light and festive. These beautiful bars make me feel like the holidays are here in my warm climate. Thank you for this family recipe. It will be one of my families from now on.
Kathleen Culver says
Hi Kathleen,
I'm so, so happy to hear this!
It's an honor to be part of your family's celebrations.
Kathleen
Stephanie says
I made these wonderful cookies to give as presents during the recent winter holidays. They were a huge hit with three different friends. I only wished I had kept a few more for myself. Thank you for the tip about glass vs. metal pans. I learned something new and didn’t dry out my cookies.
Kathleen Culver says
Hi Stephanie!!
I'm so glad that you made them, and that your friends enjoyed them too!
I did the same thing this year and didn't make enough for myself. I'm definitely setting extra aside next batch.
And hooray for cookies that aren't dry. Amazing how the pans make such a difference.
Thank you!
Kathleen
Elaine says
Easy chewy different and elegant on paper doily. Serve with port
Kathleen Culver says
Thanks so much, Elaine!
I'm glad you had the opportunity to try them.
Kathleen