How to make German Christmas Terraces: 3 layers of deliciousness
Terraces – or Terrassen in German – are my favourite German Christmas cookies. They are fun and easy to make with kids and somehow, kinda special.
One of my fondest memories of my first German Christmas is being hugged by the scents of cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla, and caramelised sugar every day when I got home from school.
I was 16 and spent three months in the south of Germany on an exchange. My first snow was a white Christmas.
My host Mum, Ilse, ensured I experienced the best of all things Christmas in Germany. She made me my first Advent calendar and took me to the Christmas markets. And she baked copious German Christmas biscuits, including my favourite cookies, these German Christmas terraces.
When I returned home, Ilse gifted me a little book full of hand-written recipes (complete with hand-drawn images) for my favourite German foods, most of which are German Christmas biscuits.
I use the little book every Christmas.
Short & sweet
TASTE: Buttery, smooth and slightly tangy
EASE: Very. Our LDA loves to help make (and eat) them
PROS: Enticing memories of a special white Christmas
CONS: Not being able to make enough
AGAIN?: Definitely. Every Christmas
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German Christmas terraces
Equipment
- Dough hook attachment
- Plastic wrap
- baking paper
- butter knife
Ingredients
For the dough
- 250 g plain flour
- 70 g white sugar
- peel of one lemon grated
- 2 egg yolks
- 150 g butter softened to room temperature
To assemble
- 4 tbsp. Red berry jam
- 3 tbsp. Icing sugar for dusting
Instructions
For the dough
- Combine all the dough ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer (dough hook attachment). Mix the ingredients until they form a smooth dough. You may also need to knead the dough a little to remove any bumps.
- Cover in plastic and refrigerate for an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 190°c (fan-forced).
- Sprinkle a little flour on your work surface and on your rolling pin and roll out your dough until it is about 5 mm thick.
- Using three different-sized cookie cutters of the same shape, cut out the layers and place on a baking tray.
- Bake for 6-8 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and allow the biscuits to cool.
To assemble
- Slowly warm the red berry jam in a pot.
- Spread a little jam on one of the large biscuits and add a medium-sized one on top. Spread jam on the medium-size biscuit and add a small-size biscuit on top, so that you have little three-level terraces.
- To serve, dust with icing sugar to look like light snow.
Notes
Nutrition
Ilse’s recipe for German Christmas terraces
Ilse baked these German Christmas terraces – Terassen in German – for my first German Christmas, but I haven’t found many others who make them for the festive season. They are not one of the top 10 German Christmas biscuits (scandalous, I know!). They will always mean Christmas to me, even if they are not common.
I have made them for Christmas ever since, more than any other recipe in the little book. Ilse’s recipe book opens automatically to the right page.
(If you are looking for a recipe book for German cakes, pastries, and cookies, check out Audrey Leonard’s new cookbook, Süss: Sweet German Treats for Every Occasion (which means sweet in German). I’m keeping Else’s recipe book for me for now.)
4 tips for the perfect terraces
These German Christmas terraces are perfect for making with our Spritzgebaeck and our cinnamon stars. Why? Eggs. The Spritzgebaeck and terraces use egg yolks, while the cinnamon stars need egg whites. Together, they need exactly three eggs!
Roll your dough out on a floured surface to a consistent thickness (3 to 5 mm). Not only will this make baking more consistent, but your assembled terraces will look better and not be lopsided. I find it easiest to use a rolling pin with thickness rings.
You will need two or three cookie cutters of the same shape but different sizes. We used ruffled cutters, just like Ilse did (they are also great for cutting out scones). Star, diamond, and plain circle cutters work well, too. If you can find a set such as this one, you will have several options.
(You could also use this trio of Tyrannosaurus cookie cutters to make some terraces for your little dinosaur fan.)
Warm the jam slowly – too fast and you risk overheating or burning it. The jam should not have any seeds or lumps of fruit in it either, as they will prevent your layers from sticking together well. Kids love to help assemble these (and cut them out and eat the dough), but please be careful with hot jam.
Do you have a vegan version of these German Christmas cookies?
No. I’ve never tried to make a vegan version of these terrace biscuits.
You could easily substitute your favourite non-dairy spread for the butter. I haven’t had much experience with egg replacers to be able to make recommendations.
According to a handy list provided by Savor + Savvy, you can replace egg yolk with numerous substitutes including oil and water, avocado, chia seeds, and flax seeds. I like the idea of replacing the egg yolks with apple sauce (no lumps) or (homemade) cashew cream, as I think these would have the least impact on taste. If you try it or have any recommendations, please let me know!
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Can I make these German Christmas terraces in advance?
You can make the dough two days in advance. Store it in an airtight container, ziplock bag, or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. You may need to let the dough (almost) return to room temperature before rolling it out. Just take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit for about 30 minutes before using.
You can also make the dough up to three months in advance and freeze it in your freezer. Again, make sure the dough is in an airtight container, ziplock bag, or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. Completely defrost the dough before using.
How long do these German Christmas terraces keep?
In our family, not very long.
Terraces will keep for two to three weeks in an airtight container at room temperature. Unlike some other biscuits, the German Christmas terraces don’t stack very well; a stacked storage container may help.
Make some German Christmas terraces this Christmas
Baking these German Christmas cookies instantly evokes memories of my first white Christmas and the after-school scent hugs, even if I now have my own apprentice baker and am responsible for the hugs and scents.
Terrace biscuits may not be a common Christmas biscuit in Germany, they are a traditional holiday cookie for my German host family, for me, and now for my family.
And as I dust them with powdered sugar, I can’t help but wonder whether this year will also be a white Christmas.
Will you be making them a tradition in your home too?
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More German Christmas recipes
No one does Christmas like the Germans. Many Christmas traditions originated in Germany: Christmas trees, Christmas markets, and Advent wreaths and calendars. Including these traditional recipes.
